BFAR lifts red tide warning in Sorsogon Bay

By Danica Caballero

LEGAZPI City --- The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR-5) in the Bicol region lifted its red tide warning for Sorsogon Bay on Friday, October 7, 2022.

The BFAR-5 issued the advisory to revoke its declaration on Thursday after a confirmatory test done by the National Fisheries Laboratory Division found that Sorsogon Bay tested negative from paralytic shellfish toxin.

Its updated local red tide advisory stated that “the shellfish and Acetes sp. gathered from Sorsogon Bay are now safe for human consumption.”

SAFE for human consumption

BFAR-5 said that harvesting, sale, and consumption of shellfish in the bay, including “alamang,” are now allowed.

Meanwhile, BFAR-5 continues its heightened monitoring of the coastal waters of Milagros in Masbate after laboratory results confirmed that samples collected in the area were positive for paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) or red tide toxin.

The PSP toxin level in shellfish samples collected recorded 60.99 to 127.06 micrograms of saxitoxin which exceeded the regulatory limit of 60 micrograms. (PIA 5)