The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has warned the public against gathering, selling, and eating shellfish and alamang from several coastal areas in the Visayas after samples tested positive for red tide toxin.
In an advisory issued Friday, May 22, BFAR said its National Fisheries Laboratory Division confirmed the presence of saxitoxin in shellfish meat samples collected from the waters of Biliran Island.
The agency said all types of shellfish and Acetes species, locally known as alamang, taken from affected waters are unsafe for human consumption.
The shellfish ban also remains in effect in the coastal waters of Daram in Samar and Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar, particularly in the towns of General MacArthur, Quinapondan, Hernani, and Salcedo.
BFAR said shellfish samples from these areas also tested positive for red tide toxins, making them unsafe to harvest, transport, market, or eat.
However, the agency clarified that fish, squid, shrimp, and crabs from the affected waters may still be consumed, provided they are fresh, properly washed, and prepared carefully.
Consumers were advised to remove internal organs such as intestines and gills before cooking seafood from areas under red tide alert.
Red tide is caused by harmful algal blooms that produce toxins such as saxitoxin. Eating contaminated shellfish may lead to paralytic shellfish poisoning, a potentially serious condition that can cause numbness, breathing difficulty, paralysis, and, in severe cases, death.
BFAR urged local authorities, traders, and residents in affected coastal communities to strictly observe the shellfish ban until laboratory tests show that the waters are safe again.