Red tide hits Capiz seafood industry

ILOILO CITY—The fishing and seafood industries of Capiz province face a severe blow after a red tide contamination was declared in Sapian Bay, the province’s major source of fish, shell and other marine products.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) issued on Aug. 29 an advisory declaring red tide contamination in the areas covered by the bay.

Shellfish toxicity level in the bay reached 74 microgram saxitoxin (ugSTXeg)/100 grams of shellfish meat, which was beyond the regulatory limit of 60 ugSTXeg/100 grams, according to the advisory issued by BFAR officer in charge Benjamin Tabios.

The red tide phenomenon occurs when algae rapidly multiplies, producing toxins that can be fatal to humans and other wildlife.

BFAR Western Visayas Director Remia Aparri said the agency had warned against gathering, eating, transporting or marketing of shellfish from Sapian Bay to avoid paralytic shellfish poisoning.

Fish from the bay could be consumed but must be fresh and washed thoroughly. The internal organs—including gills and intestines—should also be removed before cooking and eating, according to the advisory.

The bay stretches for at least 30 kilometers, covering the towns of Sapian and Ivisan in Capiz, and Batan town in the neighboring province of Aklan.

Capiz, dubbed the country’s seafood capital, is the top producer of oysters and green mussels, which are primarily produced in Sapian and Ivisan, according to Audie Belargo, senior aquaculturist of the provincial agriculture office.

Aparri said the alert was indefinite and would depend on the results of continuous monitoring of water conditions. She said the presence of toxins would depend on the water temperature, nutrient contents and their absorption by shellfish.

Monitoring teams from the BFAR central and regional offices and local governments have been deployed in the area including in Batan.

The red tide contamination in Sapian Bay is the first reported in decades, according to Aparri.

Sapian Bay is a major source of livelihood and food especially of the towns within the area.

Mayor Arthur John Biñas of Sapian said his municipality would be severely affected by a prolonged red tide contamination.

About 60 percent of Sapian’s 29,000 residents are dependent on fishing and shell gathering. Nine of its 10 villages are coastal.

“We will declare a state of calamity to assist the affected residents if the contamination will continue after several days,” Biñas told the Inquirer.

He said the impact had already been felt in the town and even in the capital city of Roxas where residents had avoided eating shellfish.

“The products now are cheaper because people are afraid to eat what are being sold,” he said.