Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 23) — The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources warned on Tuesday against harvesting and consuming shellfish from the Honda Bay in Palawan, which now is under a red tide alert.
BFAR confirmed the bay is positive for red tide toxins, which were also earlier found in the coastal waters of Dauis and Tagbilaran City in Bohol, Balite Bay in Davao Oriental, and Lianga Bay in Surigao del Sur.
Red tide occurs when there is high concentration of algae, resulting in the discoloration of water. Some of these algae produce toxic chemicals which are then consumed by the shellfish.
“All types of shellfish and Acetes sp. or alamang gathered from these areas are not safe for human consumption,” BFAR said.
According to the bureau, toxic shellfish taste and appear no different from nontoxic ones, and cooking does not destroy the red tide toxin. Eating toxic shellfish may result in paralytic shellfish poisoning, which immediately affects the nervous system, it added.
“After ingestion, this poison immediately affects the nervous system, with symptoms usually occurring within 30 minutes. Severity depends on the amount of toxin ingested,” BFAR explained.
Symptoms include tingling of the lips and tongue which spreads to the face, neck, fingertips and toes, followed by headache, dizziness and nausea. The BFAR said that in severe cases, muscular paralysis and respiratory difficulty may occur within five to 12 hours. Fatalities from respiratory paralysis have also been reported.
In its advisory, the BFAR however clarified that fish, squids, shrimps and crabs are safe for human consumption provided that they are fresh and washed thoroughly, and internal organs such as gills and intestines are removed before cooking.
