THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Eastern Visayas said red tide toxin remains to affect four bodies of water in Samar province.
BFAR regional director Juan Albaladejo said eating and transporting shell fish from Cambatutay, Irong-Irong Bays, Calbayog Waters and Matarinao Bay remain prohibited, because they still contain red tide toxin.
As of July 15, the toxicity level at the Cambatutay Bay stands at 58, with 164 pyrodinium cells per liter taken from its two sampling stations, 14 and 461 pyrodinium cells per liter were taken from the two sampling stations at Calbayog Waters and more than 45 up to 144 pyrodinium cells per liter from Irong-Irong Bay. The readings are considered above the accepted standard which is at below 10 pyrodinium cells per liters.
Due to the toxin, the public is prohibited to gather, sell, transport and eat shellfish particularly green Mussels taken from the bays in Samar province.
Albaladejo said their team apprehended about 55 sacks of Mussel shells, last July 11 at the San Juanico Bridge.
The three bays cover the town of Tarangnan, Salcedo and the cities of Catbalogan and Calbayog.
Samar is a major ‘tahong’ producer with an annual production of more than 5,000 metric valued at more than P50 million planted mostly at Maqueda Bay, the biggest and main bay of Samar. The Cambatutay Bay in Tarangnan town has about five hectares planted for tahong with about 20 farmers.
Aside from Leyte and Samar, the shells from Samar are also sold in the markets of Cebu, Manila, and Davao.
Earlier, the red tide toxin found at the Cambatutay Bay killed two persons and 20 others.
The red tide bloom has been recurring for three years in the Matarinao Bay off the coast of Eastern Samar.
BFAR, in its July 15 reading, found the red tide in 281 cells per liter.
The red tide is present in 96 micrograms per 100 grams of shellfish meat.
The normal state is below 10 cells per liter in seawater and below 60 micrograms per 100 grams of shellfish meat. (Leyte Samar Daily Express)
Sarwell Q. Meniano