Fishermen and consumers in Eastern Visayas can now finally heave a sigh of relief.
After nearly three years of infestation, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) delivered some good news: all bays in Eastern Visayas are now free from red tide.
Samples tested from shellfish in the waters of Leyte, Leyte, and Matarinao Bay have been confirmed toxin-free, making them the last areas in the region to be delisted from the national shellfish bulletin.
“To date, no areas in Eastern Visayas are under shellfish ban or local red tide warning. All types of shellfish from the region are safe from human consumption,” BFAR said in a statement Friday, March 21.
Eastern Visayas has frequently experienced red tide warnings in recent years, according to BFAR, marking a rare period of red tide absence in these areas.
Among the waters cleared are the islands of Zumarraga and Daram, and the bays of Maqueda, Cambatutay, Irong-Irong, Villareal, and San Pedro in Samar province.
The waters off Guiuan in Eastern Samar; bays of Calubian, Carigara, Cancabato, and Ormoc in Leyte, Sogod Bay in Southern Leyte, and the coastal waters of Biliran Island, are also red tide-free.
These areas were previously affected by paralytic shellfish poison due to red tide, which recurred as rain-induced runoff enriched the water, triggering the growth of red tide cysts.
"Even if the shellfish ban is lifted in these areas, our active surveillance will continue since we still experience rains," BFAR added.
(With report from PNA)
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