THE Balite Bay in Mati City, Davao Oriental, is free from the paralytic shellfish poison or red tide toxin, an official of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)-Davao said Monday, January 2.
BFAR-Davao Regional Director Fatma Idris said the coastal waters and shellfish collected along Balite Bay tested negative from the hazardous contaminant based on the latest laboratory results of the agency, adding that seafood caught in the area is now safe for human consumption.
In the shellfish bulletin number 39 released on December 28, 2016, the fisher folks can still harvest, sell, buy or eat shellfish caught within the area.
“Safe na safe ang mga shellfish, mga crabs, mga squids from Mati Balite Bay (Sea foods from Mati, Balite Bay are safe for consumption),” Idris said.
It was previously reported that Balite Bay tested positive for toxic red tides according to shellfish bulletin 06 dated March 2, 2016.
“So far, the whole year, except noong bandang (on) March 2 may (it's) positive but the rest naging (it became) stable naman,” Idris said.
Red tide occurs when algae rapidly increase in numbers to the extent that it dominates the local planktonic or benthic community. Blooms are caused by environmental conditions that promote explosive growth.
Such high abundance can result from explosive growth caused by a metabolic response to a particular stimulus or from the physical concentration of a species in a certain area due to local patterns in water circulation, warm sea surface temperatures and high nutrient content.