Shellfish ban is still up in eight bays in Eastern Visayas as red tide toxins continue to plague some coastal waters of the region since mid-2017. These red tide-infested bays are Cambatutay, Irong-irong, Maqueda, Villareal and Daram waters in Samar province; Leyte coastal waters and Carigara Bay in Leyte; and Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar. Based on samples collected by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, red tide toxins are still present in both seawater and shellfish meat–above the regulatory limit–Nancy Dayap, manager of BFAR regional fisheries laboratory, said in a mobile phone interview on Tuesday.

Red Tide alert up in 8 Visayas bays. (2018, January 3). The Manila Times, p. A7.