ILOILO CITY, Nov. 16 (PNA) — The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Western Visayas has warned on the gathering, selling and eating of shellfish at the Pilar and Sapian Bays in Capiz and Batan Bay in Aklan.

BFAR regional director Remia Aparri explained that their monitoring has revealed that red tide cells, known as Pyrodnium bahamense, is still present in the said bays.

“It so happened that last week and until now the environment is favorable–the climate, temperature, salinity, nutrients–that contribute to their explosive growth, thus we have red tide,” she said.

Nonetheless, she said that gathering and eating of fishes taken from the bays is still allowed provided that they are fresh, their entrails removed and washed thoroughly before they are cooked.

Aparri added that a daily test is being conducted by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to monitor the condition of the water. Water samples are taken for laboratory analysis, she said. (PNA)