Philippines: Red tide re-emerges in eastern province

Published 2023년 5월 31일

Tridge summary

Red tide, a phenomenon caused by high algal toxin levels in water, has returned to Matarinao Bay in the Philippines, forcing the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to issue a local warning and ban the gathering and consumption of shellfish. This marks four months after the bay was declared toxin-free. The return of the red tide was linked to weather changes and was confirmed by BFAR's laboratory, showing toxicity levels above the permitted limit. Despite the shellfish ban, fish, squid, crab, and shrimp from the area are safe to eat with proper cleaning. The article also highlights the history of red tide incidents in the Philippines, which have been ongoing since the 1920s, causing significant economic and health impacts.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

Manila: More than four months after it was deemed toxin-free, "red tide" has returned to Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar province, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). The reappearance of the red tide triggered at least in part by changes in weather patterns, according to the Philippine News Agency. “To safeguard human lives, a local red tide warning is issued in this area as a precautionary advice to the public to refrain from gathering, selling, and eating all types of shellfishes and Acetes sp. locally known as alamang or hipon from the said bay,” BFAR was quoted as saying by the agency. In mid-January 2023, BFAR relaxed the shellfish prohibition in Matarinao Bay. Moreover, paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxin was detected in the shellfish meat sample taken from the bay in Basey Town, Samar, according to a March 21 laboratory investigation. Results of the agency's tests on shellfish samples revealed that there were more than 60 micrograms (μg) of toxins for ...

Source: Gulfnews