Officials in the island town of Madridejos in northern Cebu on Tuesday warned their fishermen about the red tide contamination in the municipal waters.

Mayor Romeo Villaceran, in a statement posted on the municipality’s official social media page, warned fishermen against collecting seashells such as oysters (talaba), scallops (kabibi), cockles (litob), mussels (tahong), clams (halaan), and “alamang” (krill).

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) confirmed on its Oct. 21 advisory about the presence of red tide in the seawater of Madridejos.

Villaceran said their constituents are warned not to harvest and consume shellfish in the meantime that the BFAR’s ban is still in effect, noting that municipal agriculture personnel are conducting regular inspections in the market and coastal areas.

“We will confiscate banned shellfish and ‘alamang’ if our Municipal Agriculture’s Office find them during their inspections,” he said.

Shellfish infected with red tide may cause paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) that results in paralysis, headaches, vomiting, difficulty swallowing, difficulty speaking, weakness, and even death. (PNA)

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