DVMF urges caution over shellfish

CEBU, Philippines — Even as no red tide contamination has yet been confirmed in Cebu City’s 16 coastal barangays, the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF) is still urging the public to be vigilant in buying shellfish in the city markets.

This came after the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) raised a red tide alert in some areas in the Visayas and Mindanao. These areas are reportedly also where the vendors source their shellfish.

Last August 22, 2024, the BFAR issued a bulletin warning consumers to not buy or eat shellfish harvested in some areas in the provinces of Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Zamboanga Sibugay, Surigao del Norte, and Palawan due to toxic red tide contamination.

Areas with high toxic red tide levels are Dumanquillas Bay in Zamboanga del Sur, coastal waters of San Benito in Surigao del Norte, coastal waters of Daram Island, Zumarraga Island, Irong-Irong Bay, Villareal Bay, and Cambatutay Bay in Samar, Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar, Cancabato Bay in Leyte, coastal waters of Tungawan in Zamboanga Sibugay, Maqueda Bay in Samar, Puerto Princesa Bay in Palawan, and Carigara Bay in Leyte.

“Wala ta naka-experience og red tide occurrences pero gihisgotan nato ni tungod kay ang Cebu City nag-receive og volume sa shellfish coming from Bantayan Island, Cordova, Samar, and Leyte,” said DVMF Fishery Division assistant head Maria Merlyn Mirallo through the city’s Sugboanon Channel.

Red tide is defined as a phenomenon that occurs on the coastline when algae grows out of control and this occurs due to coastal pollution from human sewage, agricultural runoff, and rising ocean temperatures attributed to human-induced climate change.

Mirallo advised consumers to always check for documentation from shellfish vendors such the auxiliary invoice that the local government unit issues and or the transport permit that BFAR provides.

“Kung magpalit ta og shells, mas maayo nga mangayo ta og documents. Kung naa silay shellfish dayon wala silay papeles, that means illegal ang ilang pag-transport,” Mirallo added.

Shellfish that are often affected with red tide poisoning include clams, mussels, and oysters, among others.

Symptoms of red tide poisoning include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, tingling and numbing of the lips, tongue and throat, and dizziness. In extreme cases, it leads to hospitalization.

DVMF regularly inspects the city’s public markets to determine if vendors are selling shellfish tainted with red tide.

In July this year alone, DVMF and BFAR personnel confiscated eight boxes filled with mussels that were contaminated with red tide at the Pasil Fish Market.

The mussels were then confiscated and the truck driver who transported the shellfish from Zamboanga to the market here was penalized. — (FREEMAN)