‘Malaga,’ seaweeds ban imposed in La Union town

DAGUPAN CITY—The local government of Balaoan, La Union, banned the catching of the local fish, malaga (siganid), and the gathering of seaweeds in waters off Paraoir village after residents suffered ailments after consuming seafood there.

Balaoan Mayor Al-Fred Concepcion ordered the ban on Sept. 24 after residents were treated at the local hospital for facial numbness, stomach pain and skin itches, said Nestor Domenden, Ilocos director of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

Domenden said residents had been complaining about these symptoms since August, but the BFAR was informed about the episodes only last week.

BFAR personnel collected samples of malaga and seaweeds for laboratory analysis to identify the organisms causing the ailments.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources is testing the soil and water in Paraoir while the Department of Health has been interviewing victims, Domenden said.

The symptoms exhibited by the victims appear to be associated with the toxins expelled by ciguatera-contaminated fish, but the agency has not made any conclusions pending results of the tests.

Ciguatera is triggered by a marine plankton called dinoflagellate, which is found in most seawaters.

Domenden said the malaga school of fish is herbivorous and often feeds on seaweeds.

“It is possible that the seaweeds were contaminated with ciguatera organisms, which, while natural inhabitants of seawater, could have caused the poisoning… The human, who consumes the affected malaga, suffers from the poison,” he said. Yolanda Sotelo, Inquirer Northern Luzon