Sacks of shellfish seized in Pangasinan town

SUAL, Pangasinan, Philippines – About 259 sacks of shellfish, believed to be contaminated with red tide toxin, were seized by the police the other day here.

The shellfish, worth P310,000, were loaded in a van driven by Danny Lazo, 45, said Senior Inspector Leo Llamas, town police chief.

Aside from Lazo, police also arrested his companions Crisanto Camero, 30; Allan Caasi, and a minor.

Lazo and his companions failed to show documents proving that the shellfish did not come from areas whose coastal waters remain positive for algae that produce the red tide toxin. 

The maritime police and the municipal agriculturist office said the shellfish ban remains up in Bolinao and Anda towns, while Alaminos City and Barangay Wawa in Bani town were recently cleared of red tide by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.