Warning vs Red Tide up

NAGA CITY --- The coastal waters off the town of Mandaon in the island province of Masbate has been identified as positive for red tide. In a news dispatch by ABS-CBN News, thehe Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources was reported to have identified several coastal areas in the country that tested positive for red tide. Several areas south of the Bicol waters have also been identified as red tide positive. These include Irong-Irong Bay, Marqueda Bay, Villareal Bay, and the coastal waters of Daram Island in Western Samar; Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar; Carigara Bay in Leyte, and; Inner Malampaya, Taytay Bay and Puerto Princesa Bay in Palawan. The public is advised “not to harvest, not to sell, not to buy, and not to eat” shellfish from the reas aforementioned. “All types of shellfish or alamang gathered from the areas shown above are not safe for human consumption,” BFAR Director Eduardo Gongona said in a statement released this week. “Fish, squids, shrimps, and crabs are safe for human consumption provided that they are fresh and washed thoroughly and internal organs such as gills and intestines are removed before cooking,” the statement added.