Shellfish ban widened in Roxas City, 6 Capiz towns

ILOILO CITY—The provincial government of Capiz has widened the coverage of a ban on the harvesting and selling of shellfish due to red tide in the Sapian Bay, the province’s major source of shellfish and other marine products.

Capiz Gov. Victor Tanco said he had directed the mayors of the capital, Roxas City, and six coastal towns—Sapian, Ivisan, Panay, Pontevedra, Pilar and President Roxas—to ensure the implementation on the ban.

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

Capiz is the country’s top producer of oysters. Its oyster industry covers 140.45 hectares with annual production reaching 2,103 metric tons as of 2012, according to data of the provincial agriculture office.

“We are continuously monitoring the water conditions and we have detected increasing levels of toxicity in the areas near the bay,” Tanco told the Inquirer.

Tanco said the contamination could have been triggered by effects of climate change as changes in water temperature affect the production of red tide toxins.

The local government units are bracing for the effects of a prolonged ban on food supply and the livelihood of residents in the coastal areas. “If this will last for a week or longer, we foresee a severe impact on fishermen and residents who are dependent on the shellfish industry,” Tanco said.

On Aug. 29, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) issued an advisory declaring red tide in the Sapian Bay.

Shellfish toxicity level in the bay reached 74 microgram saxitoxin (µgSTXeg)/100 grams of shellfish meat, which was beyond the regulatory limit of 60, according to the advisory.

The province is mulling the declaration of a partial state of calamity covering the affected areas to enable the release of calamity funds and provide assistance to affected residents.

Tanco said a prolonged ban would also hurt the tourism industry of the province, dubbed the country’s Seafood Capital.

“Many tourists come here for our seafood,” he said.

The ban came amid the harvesting season of the province’s sought-after diwal (bivalve) or “angel wings.”

It will result in a drop in shellfish production, provincial agriculturist Sylvia de la Cruz said. But she added that its primary concern was to protect lives.

The red tide contamination is the first in the province after 17 years.