SORSOGON CITY, April 23 (PNA) -- The shellfish ban remains hoisted in Sorsogon Bay with still high concentration of red tide organism, according to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
BFAR has recently issued a shellfish bulletin that included anew Sorsogon Bay and Juag Lagoon in Matnog town, this province, as among the bodies of water where the shellfish ban is imposed.
BFAR Bicol regional director Dennis Del Socorro said the red tide, caused by increased concentration of microorganism known as dinoflagellates, continues to bloom and multiply in the waters of Sorsogon Bay.
"Pollutants from several water tributaries flowing through the bay and domestic wastes from the coastlines surrounding it are already piling up," he noted.
He said that as long as the water in the bay is polluted, the red tide will continue to infest Sorsogon Bay and they could not determine when it will stop.
Business remains bleak for the shellfish growers and traders as the ban in Sorsogon Bay has remained for more than two years now, causing a big loss to the shellfish industry, the shellfish industry, particularly the production of "tahong" (green mussels) that are cultured or naturally grown here.
Sorsogon City and five other towns, with 61 out of 82 coastal barangays within the bay area, surround the bay.
With the shellfish ban still imposed in Sorsogon Bay, the BFAR advised that all shellfish, including "alamang," (tiny shrimp) are banned and not safe for human consumption.
It further advised that fish, squid, shrimp and crab are safe for human consumption in the areas identified where the red tide reaches dangerous level, provided that they are fresh and washed thoroughly and internal organs such as gills and intestines are removed before cooking. (PNA)