Red tide in Bataan persists

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—The red tide menace has dragged on for 15 months now in some parts of the coast of Bataan province, an official of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said on Friday.

The harmful algal blooms sprout and stay due to many factors, including effluents and runoffs, but the record-long occurrence in the province could not yet be explained, said Remedios Ongtangco,  BFAR director  for  Central Luzon.

Bataan is at the mouth of  Pampanga River leading to Manila Bay.

The BFAR has not recorded any deaths from contaminated seafood in the red tide-affected areas, Ongtangco said.

She attributed this to the enforcement of the ban on shellfish gathering, sale and consumption, and the  information campaign conducted by the provincial and local governments.

Numbness of lips, dizziness and vomiting are some of the  symptoms of red tide poisoning. Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon