By Marie Tonette Marticio
TACLOBAN City – Red tide toxins are positive in three bays in Eastern Visayas, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) 8 reported Saturday.
BFAR Regional Director Juan Albaladejo said that laboratory results of the Regional Marine Biotoxin Laboratory disclosed that the Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) level in the coastal areas of Cancabato Bay in Tacloban City; Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar; and San Pedro Bay in Basey and Marabut, Samar are beyond the regulatory limit.
“Water samples collected in the area were positive of Pyrodinium bahamense variety compressum, a microorganism that causes paralytic shellfish poisoning,” Albaladejo said.
The official appealed to the public to refrain from eating, harvesting, selling and buying shellfishes and Acetes sp, locally known as ‘alamang or hipon’ from said areas until the shellfish toxicity level has gone down below the regulatory level.
Just recently, three siblings from Barangay. San Fernando, Basey, Samar were rushed to Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center here for shellfish poisoning after having eaten cockle shell (buo).
All of them stayed in the intensive care unit after experiencing paralysis, severe vomiting, and headache. They are now in stable condition and recovering.