Red Tide Is Back in Two Eastern Visayas Bays

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) regional office, in advisory issued on 21 January, declared San Pedro Bay in Samar and Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar positive of high levels of toxins that can cause Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning based on the shellfish meat harvested from the area.

San Pedro Bay in Basey, Samar while Matarinao Bay covers the towns of Quinapondan, Salcedo, General MacArthur and Hernani in Eastern Samar.

Aside from these two areas, four waters in the different parts of the region were also found positive of Pyrodinium bahamense, a toxic microorganism that causes PSP.

These waters are Cancabato Bay in Tacloban City, the coastal waters of Guiuan, Eastern Samar, Irong-Irong Bay in Catbalogan City and the coastal waters of Biliran island.

The agency also advised the public to refrain from gathering, selling and eating all types of shellfish and alamang gathered from these areas as a precaution.