Two Pangasinan towns placed under red tide alert

Two Pangasinan towns placed under red tide alert

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Region 1 cautioned villagers along the coastal waters Bolinao and Anda against red tide toxins or saxitoxin.

BFAR Region 1 Director Rosario Segundina P. Gaerlan officially informing Pangasinan Governor Ramon Guico III said that as of April 10, 2025, the latest laboratory analysis from the shellfish meat samples collected from the sea waters of Bolinao and Anda were found to be positive of red tide toxins.

Gaerlan requested the help of the Provincial Government of Pangasinan in the intensive dissemination to keep the public informed on the situation, prompting the Pangasinan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) issuance of a red tide alert informing the people of the saxitoxin-affected waters of the two towns.

BFAR further strongly advised people to refrain from gathering, selling and eating all types of fishes and acetes sibugae or "alamang" or hipon from the coastal waters of Bolinao and Anda. It stressed that this is a precautionary measure to safeguard lives while waiting for the issuance of a national shellfish bulletin or advisory.

BFAR though said that fish, crabs and shrimps are safe to eat provided that they are fresh, all their entrails are removed and washed thoroughly before cooking.

Gaerlan also advised concerned local government units to require their market inspectors, quarantine officers and administrators to demand from the traders necessary papers and documents issued by the BFAR for all fish and fishery products including seashells. This, to ensure, it reiterated, that that they did not come from the areas affected by Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP).