Bataan shellfish ban stays

ANGELES CITY, Philippines – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) yesterday said red tide has not yet abated in the waters of Balanga City and seven other towns in Bataan, and reiterated the ban on shellfish gathering in these areas. 

“Refrain from gathering and eating shellfish from the affected coastal waters of Bataan as the red tide toxin which causes paralytic shellfish poisoning remains present in the area,” BFAR said in an advisory.

Apart from Balanga, the affected areas include the municipalities of Mariveles, Limay, Orion, Pilar, Abucay, Samal and Orani.

BFAR-Central Luzon information officer Lanie Lamyong cited an updated study showing that “the current red tide toxin level in shellfish samples collected from the coastal waters of Bataan is still significantly higher than the 60 STX per 100 gram tolerable limit.”

Lamyong, however, said only shellfish are unsafe. “Fish harvested from the affected coastal waters are safe to eat as long as they are fresh and washed thoroughly and their internal organs such as gills and intestines are removed before they are cooked,” she said.