Red tide alert up in Pangasinan

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Health (DoH) on Tuesday advised the public to avoid eating shellfish harvested from Wawa River in Pangasinan following an advisory on the presence of red tide toxin by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

In its latest bulletin, the BFAR said toxins were found in Wawa River in Bani town, Pangasinan, while the waters of six provinces continued to be positive for paralytic shellfish poison “that is beyond the regulatory limit.”

Identified as positive for red tide were Dumanquillas Bay in Zamboanga del Sur; Murcielagos Bay in Zamboanga del Norte and Misamis Occidental; Masinloc Bay in Zambales; and Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar.

Shellfish harvested from Bataan coastal waters—Mariveles, Limay, Orion, Pilar, Balanga, Orani, Abucal and Samal—are also not fit for consumption, according to the BFAR bulletin.

But fish, squid, shrimp and crab from all these areas are safe for human consumption but they should be fresh, thoroughly washed and its internal organs removed before cooking, added the advisory.

According to the DoH, symptoms of red tide poisoning include dizziness, headache, facial numbness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and paralysis, breathing difficulty, which could lead to death.