Red tide alert up in Negros Occidental

THE Provincial Government of Negros Occidental has stepped up its monitoring for red tide toxins in the coastal communities.

Provincial Agriculturist Japhet Masculino said on Sunday, August 6, that the Capitol already increased the frequency of its monitoring for possible risks of red tide contamination with the onset of the rainy season.

“We do the monitoring every week. But with the onset of rainy season, we do it every other day,” Masculino said.

He said the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) gathers samples of the coastal waters and shellfish from each locality for laboratory testing.

As of Monday, August 7, no locality has been tested positive for the red tide toxin, Masculino said.

However, the OPA is not letting its guards down, and had been advising the local government units to stay “vigilant.”

Red tide is an algal bloom that makes seafood toxic. It is a naturally recurring phenomenon in coastal waters.

Masculino said temperature is one of the factors that may trigger algal bloom, which will kill fishes and make shellfish dangerous for human consumption.

He said if a locality will be tested positive, samples will be sent to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Manila. It is BFAR who will raise the red tide alert for the affected local government unit.

Masculino said they will continue the monitoring for possible red tide contamination to alert the public, especially those in coastal areas.

While no locality in Negros Occidental has been affected by red tide, a town in the neighboring province of Negros Oriental was contaminated by the toxin.

In the advisory signed by Undersecretary for Fisheries and BFAR Director Eduardo Gongona on August 3, it said the samples collected from Siit Bay in Siaton are positive for the red tide toxin.

The paralytic shellfish poisoning toxin level in shellfish sample collected is 219 micrograms of shellfish meat.

“To avoid paralytic shellfish poisoning, the public is advised to refrain from eating, gathering or harvesting, transporting and marketing shellfish from Siit Bay in Siaton until such time the shellfish toxicity level has gone down below the regulatory limit of 60 micrograms of shellfish meat,” the advisory said.

It added that the fish harvested from the said area are safe for human consumption provided they are fresh and washed thoroughly and their internal organs, such as gills and intestines, are removed from cooking.

It said the BFAR and the local government unit continue to monitor Siit Bay to safeguard public health and to protect the fishery industry.

In December 2015, coastal waters in Negros Occidental, particularly Bacolod City, Cadiz City, Victorias City, and E.B. Magalona town, were tested positive for red tide, while Silay City was affected by the toxin a month after.

Weeks after, BFAR declared the province free from red tide. (SunStar Bacolod)

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