Bataan shellfish ban up anew

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, Philippines – Two months after the province of Bataan was cleared of red tide, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) on Saturday confirmed the presence of toxin in shellfish.

Bataan agriculture office chief Imelda Nieto expressed sadness over the recurrence of algae that produce the red tide toxin.

She said there is nothing they could do but to prohibit the sale and consumption of shellfish harvested from  Bataan waters.

Nieto said the sunset and brown mussel shells taken from Manila Bay off Samal town tested positive for red tide.

Aside from Samal, there is also a shellfish ban in Hermosa, Orani, Abucay, Pilar, Orion, Limay and Mariveles, and in the city of Balanga.

The shellfish ban in Bataan was imposed in November 2013 and was lifted last August.