Dr Westly Rosario, chief of the BFAR-National Integrated Fisheries and Technology Development Center said that laboratory tests on shellfish from Wawa proved negative of HAB for the past three weeks.
However, BFAR maintains the red tide toxin infection alert on shellfishes and bivalves emanating from the towns of Anda, Bolinao, and the city of Alaminos.
Consequently, the City Information Office of Dagupan reported that its Agriculture Office and the River and Coastal Protection Management Office (RCPMO) confiscated 70 sacks of shellfish suspected of red-tide toxin contamination on 18-20 March.
The shellfish dealers failed to present their auxiliary invoice serving as the clearance required by BFAR ensuring that their commodities did not come from Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP)-positive areas.
The city government assured that its concerned team will continue their 24-hour monitoring operations to screen western Pangasinan shellfish merchants from unloading the purported PSP-contaminated supply in order to secure the health of consuming public.
Bani Cleared of Red Tide, Other Areas Still Infected
PHILIPPINES - The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) announced that shellfish from Wawa in Bani town are now free from Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) or red tide but no clearance has yet been given for other infected areas.
by Lucy Towers
