The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) 8 warned on Thursday against eating, harvesting, and buying shellfishes in areas covered by two bays in Eastern Visayas due to red tide. BFAR 8 Regional Director Juan Albaladejo said the water samples collected along Cancabato Bay in Tacloban City and Matarinao Bay covering the municipalities of General MacArthur, Hernani, Quinapondan, and Salcedo in Eastern Samar are positive for Pyrodinium bahamense, a toxic microorganism that causes paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) or ‘red tide’ based on the laboratory examination conducted by the Provincial Marine Biotoxin Laboratory.

Marticio, M. T. (2020, June 26). BFAR 8 issues red tide alert. Manila Bulletin, p. 11.