Red tide alert on in P’sinan

BANI, Pangasinan -- The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources lifted the ban on shellfish in the coastal area of this town as the threat of red tide eased but the ban was still imposed on shellfishes from the coastal waters of Alaminos City, Anda and Bolinao.

This means gathering of oysters, mussels and other bivalves from these areas is still prohibited.

Dr. Westly Rosario, chief of the BFAR-National Integrated Fisheries Technology Development Center based in Dagupan, said laboratory tests on shellfish samples from Wawa, Bani turned out negative of Harmful Algal Blood (HAB) or red tide for the past three weeks.

Rosario, said the red tide in n Alaminos, Anda and Bolinao may soon be washed away as it has been forecast that the country will experience rains during the dry season.

During rainy days, he said the HAB microorganism dies due to lack of sufficient sunlight that enhances its growth.

Rosario also confirmed that there is no red tide contamination in Dagupan City because it is where the fresh water coming from the Cordillera mountains are flowing.

The fresh water from upstream balances the salinity of water in the coastal areas of Dagupan, giving no room for HAB to grow, he said.