CEBU CITY – Residents in some towns in northern Cebu have been advised to refrain from eating shellfish due to red tide.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Central Visayas (BFAR-7) has raised a red tide alert over the Bogo-Medellin Bay.
The red tide alert was raised after samples of sea urchins coming from the area tested positive for the toxic red tide based on the examination conducted by the Regional Fisheries Laboratory.
“To safeguard human lives and mitigate impacts on the shellfish industry while waiting for the results of the confirmatory analysis, this warning is issued as a precautionary advice to the public to refrain from gathering, selling, and eating all types of shellfish and Acetes sp, locally known as ‘alamang,’ from the coastal waters of Bogo-Medellin Bay,” said BFAR-7 Director Mario Ruinata in an October 20 advisory.
Fish, squid, crab, and shrimp are safe to be consumed provided that all entrails are removed and washed thoroughly with running water, said Ruinata.
Red tide alert was also raised in Madridejos in Bantayan Island, Cebu.
Residents were asked to avoid collecting, selling, or consuming any shellfish or bivalves (clams, mussels, oysters, and scallops) and sea urchins.
Reynaldo Santillan, Madridejos municipal agriculturist, warned that ingesting contaminated seafood can lead to intoxication and pose serious health risks.
Red tide is a natural phenomenon caused by the sudden increase in the population of harmful algae. It can cause harmful effects on human health, such as paralytic shellfish poisoning and diarrhetic shellfish poisoning.