By MARIE TONETTE MARTICIO
TACLOBAN CITY – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources said that no cat or pig died from eating allegedly contaminated sardines or tamban in Santa Rita, Samar and this city.
BFAR personnel in Samar collect seawater for red tide testing. (BFAR-8)
Several cats and pigs were found dead and reported to have died from eating contaminated fish in the two areas recently. Pictures of these dead animals have been posted on social media.
Christine Gresola, BFAR-8 information officer, said that there is a local red tide warning in Cambatutay and Irong-irong Bays in Samar but the alleged food poisoning incident cannot be attributed to eating the fish.
“Based on laboratory results, the meat is negative from red tide although there is a local red tide warning in the seawater sample,” she said.
The BFAR-8 has advised the public to be mindful of the quality of the fish they buy at the market and local fish peddlers.
“If the fish you bought exhibits any signs of characteristics of spoilage, you are advised not to consume it or feed it to anyone, including animals, to ensure safety.”
The BFAR-8 said it is closely coordinating with the concerned local government unit (LGUs) through their municipal agriculture offices (MAOs) for further investigation about the presence of red tide.
The agency is also tapping their assistance for the possible collection of samples contaminated fish for histamine analysis.