2 Samar bays removed off BFAR-8 red tide list

CATBALOGAN CITY, Philippines  — At least two bays in Samar yesterday were stricken off the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Region 8’s list of fishing grounds contaminated with red tide.

The BFAR-8 is still raising its warning for red tide high toxicity levels in other sea bodies, but struck Maqueda Bay of this city and Villareal Bay of Villareal town in Samar, off  the list of contaminated waters.

In an advisory released yesterday, BFAR-8 said the recent samplings conducted in the two fishing grounds already yielded negative result from the paralytic shellfish poisoning, making all harvests of shellfish here safe for human consumption.

The BFAR-8, however, said samples taken from the coastal waters of Irong-Irong Bay, also of this city, Cambatutay Bay of Tarangnan town in Samar, Daram Waters of Daram Island, Naval Waters of Biliran Province, the coastal waters of Calubian and Carigara towns in Leyte and the Leyte Waters of Leyte town in Leyte, showed them still positive of the red tide toxin.

BFAR-8 Regional Director Juan Albaladejo told The FREEMAN the ban on harvesting, selling and consumption of shellfish, including alamang (very small shrimp or krill), from these affected areas are still up.

"Fish, squids, shrimps and even crabs can be consumed, but again these should be cleaned thoroughly, and make sure the intestines are removed before cooking," Albaladejo said.

Earlier last month, Albaladejo assured the public in a report that the red tide situation in Leyte and Samar was weakening, but unless the desired safe level of toxicity is achieved the BFAR warning remains. (FREEMAN)