BUTUAN CITY – The latest laboratory results by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) indicated the continued presence of paralytic shellfish poison in shellfishes collected from the Lianga Bay in Surigao del Sur.
In shellfish Bulletin No. 26 issued on Friday, BFAR said the presence of paralytic shellfish poison in samples collected is still beyond the regulatory limit.
Confirmatory lab test issued by BFAR on November 28 confirmed the presence of red tide toxin in samples of shellfishes collected from Lianga Bay.
Lianga Bay covers the towns of Barobo, Lianga, San Agustin, and Marihatag in Surigao del Sur.
With the new bulletin issued by BFAR, the local government units (LGUs) in the area, together with BFAR-13 are calling the public to refrain from gathering, selling, and eating all types of
shellfish and Acetes sp., locally known as “alamang” or “hipon” to avoid possible shellfish poisoning.
A day after BFAR-13 issued a warning on the presence of red tide toxins in the area, two residents from the town of Barobo were confirmed dead due to shellfish poisoning.
The victims reportedly consumed raw shellfish locally known as “kinilaw” that were gathered from Lianga Bay.
BFAR-13 also emphasized in its information drive that cooked shellfish affected by the red tide is also not safe for human consumption.
Last November, a chemist from BFAR-13 warned the residents in the area on the dangers of eating cooked but contaminated shellfish from the bay, saying “marine biotoxins are heat stable and cannot be disintegrated by any means, be it by acidification by the use of vinegar nor by heating or subjecting it even at cryogenic temperatures.” -PNA
