More than two weeks after the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) announced that the fish-rich Batan Bay and its tributaries in three coastal towns are affected by red tide, a desperate fisherman challenged the agency – he will eat oysters (talaba) in front of officials to prove that the shellfish in New Washington town are not affected by toxins. According to an information brochure from BFAR, red tide is a common term used to describe a coastal phenomenon in which the water is discolored by high algal biomass or concentration of algae. The discoloration may not always be red as it may also appear yellow, brown, green or milky, depending on the organisms involved.

Villanueva, V. G. (2015, December 9). What we need to know about red tide. The Daily Guardian, p. 7.