Red tide spreading: Leyte town coastal waters, Carigara Bay now affected

CATBALOGAN CITY, Philippines – The coastal waters of Leyte town in Leyte and Carigara Bay are now contaminated with red tide, bringing to eight the number of affected fishing grounds in Eastern Visayas.

The latest monitoring and sampling conducted by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Region 8, with samples collected from the coastal area of Leyte town and Carigara Bay, yielded about 98-166 micrograms of pyrodinium bahamense variety compressum—a paralytic micro organism—per 100 grams of shellfish meat, which is way beyond the regulatory level of only about 60 micrograms.

With these latest laboratory findings, the BFAR-8 raised the number in its list of red tide-affected areas in Eastern Visayas from six last week to eight this week.

The six other affected fishing grounds are Maqueda Bay and Cambatutay Bay in Catbalogan City of Samar; Irong-Irong Bay in Tarangan town of Samar; Villareal Bay in Villareal, Samar; Naval Waters in Biliran province; and Daram Waters in Daram, Samar.

BFAR-8 Regional Director Juan Albaladejo declared: “All types of shellfish and alamang (tiny shrimp) gathered from these areas are not safe for human consumption, while fish, squids, shrimps and crabs are safe for consumption provided that they are fresh and washed thoroughly, and the internal organs and the gills are removed before cooking.”

The BFAR-8 top official clarified that until the amount of the red tide toxin is found to have settled to safe levels, the BFAR ban on harvest, collection, selling and consumption of shellfish products stays.

Albaladejo however said other fishing bays in the region are still free from red tide contamination. These are Cancabato Bay in Tacloban City; San Pedro Bay in Palo town of Leyte; Babatngon Waters in Babatngon, Leyte; Ormoc Bay that also covers the towns of Albuera and Merida in Leyte; Sogod Bay in Southern Leyte; and Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar.

Meanwhile, red tide had also affected the coastal waters of Pilar and Sapian towns in Capiz; of Altavas, Batan and New Washington towns in Aklan; and of Gigantes Islands in Iloilo. (FREEMAN)