The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Region 7 (Central Visayas) has officially declared Siit Bay in Siaton, Negros Oriental, free from toxic red tide.
BFAR-Negros Oriental provincial chief Florencia Mepaña informed the Philippine News Agency in an interview on Thursday that this declaration is based on laboratory examination results of shellfish meat collected from the bay, which tested negative for harmful red tide toxins.
“This means that shellfish in the bay area did not ingest water that tested positive for toxins that cause harmful algal blooms (HAB),” Mepaña stated.
On June 13, BFAR 7 had issued an advisory cautioning residents against collecting, consuming, and selling shellfish and “alamang” (small shrimp) from Siit Bay, following laboratory results indicating that water samples taken from the bay tested positive for red tide-causing toxins.
The bureau had previously reported elevated levels of Pyrodinium bahamense, a harmful dinoflagellate that can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP).
Despite the recent declaration of being free from red tide, Mepaña noted that local BFAR conducted additional water sampling in Siit Bay on Tuesday and Wednesday as a precautionary measure.
She also mentioned that Bais Bay in Bais City and Tambobo Bay in Siaton remain free from red tide, but regular monitoring will continue, especially during the rainy season when the occurrence of red tide is more prevalent.