Red Tide Alert Extended to Northern Mainland Bogo-Medellin Bays by BFAR-7

Cebu City – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Central Visayas (BFAR-7) has extended the red tide alert to include the northern mainland Bogo-Medellin bays.

According to a news release by the Philippines News Agency, the officer-in-charge, communicated that local governments in the city of Bogo and the nearby town of Medellin have already cautioned their residents against gathering, selling, and consuming shellfish due to red tide contamination in the respective areas.

Ruinata issued an advisory stating, “To safeguard human lives and mitigate impacts on the shellfish industry while waiting for the results of the confirmatory analysis, this warning is issued as a precautionary advice to the public to refrain from gathering, selling, and eating all types of shellfish and acetes species, locally known as ‘alamang,’ from the coastal waters of Bogo-Medellin bay.”

Laboratory analysis performed by the regional Fisheries Laboratory revealed that a sea urchin sample collected from Bogo-Medellin Bay tested positive for paralytic shellfish poison (PSP). Ruinata further advised that other seafood types such as “fish, squid, crab, and shrimp are safe to eat provided that all entrails are removed and washed thoroughly with running water before eating.”

Earlier, on Monday, the municipal government of Madridejos had prohibited the collection and harvesting of shellfish or bivalves like clams, oysters, and scallops from areas impacted by the red tide. The Municipal Agriculture Office of Madridejos also cautioned their constituents against the consumption of contaminated seafood to prevent intoxication.