Red tide warning up in Surigao del Sur

Lianga Bay, Baorbo town in Surigao del Sur. PHOTO/Erwin Mascariñas

BUTUAN CITY – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) banned the harvesting and consumption of shellfish from Lianga Bay in Surigao del Sur after the discovery of a toxic red tide phenomenon in the area.

The warning published on the official website of BFAR – indicated as the Shellfish Bulletin No. 12 series of 2018 dated April 6, 2018 – included Lianga Bay in Surigao del Sur as one of the areas positive for the paralytic shellfish poison “that is beyond the regulatory limit.”

The bulletin said all types of shellfish should not be harvested from the bay. It also banned the harvesting and consumption of alamang.

However, BFAR said fish, squid, shrimps, and crabs harvested from the bay remained safe for consumption, provided that there were fresh and washed thoroughly.

It also advised that internal organs of fish and squids and shrimps, such as gills and intestines, should be removed before cooking.

“Our regional office has already forwarded the shellfish warning to the concerned local government units in the area, this red tide in Surigao del Sur is the same that was also warned about in December 2017,” said Andy Ordoña, the information officer designate of BFAR in Caraga.

Dr. Leona Victoria Nortega, the officer-in-charge of the regional fisheries laboratory, pointed out that the culprit organism was the same as that of the December 2017 outbreak.

“Since December we have constantly monitored the area and have been conducting water sampling every week and then send the result to our national office. The causative organism identified in the current red tide episode is Pyrodinium bahamense and it is around the waters off Barobo but since the town is part of the entire Lianga Bay, the warning is issued for the entire area,” said Nortega.

Ivy Doguiles, the operator of Erve’s Seafood Fastfood in Lianga town in Surigao del Sur, said they were not aware about the red tide warning until Wednesday.

“No one has informed us that a red tide warning had been up since April 6, so we had been serving our customers with seafood, especially the much sought after shellfish. Unlike last year when we immediately pulled these out of our daily menu, this year we did not know about this new ban on the consumption and sale of shellfish,” said Doguiles.

Doguiles admitted that warning would affect the daily livelihood of fisherfolk in the area, who harvest various shellfish species from Lianga Bay.

Shellfish like the spider shell or “Saang” and the much sought after large oyster known as “Tikod sa Amo” are popular among tourists who visits seafood restaurants, as well as resorts along the towns of Barobo, Lianga and San Agustin.

The entire Lianga Bay in Surigao del Sur Province covers the municipalities of Lianga, Barobo and parts of San Agustin and Tagbina.