ROXAS CITY, Capiz, Sept. 22 (PIA) – The Executive Order directing a total ban in the harvesting, transporting, selling and eating of all kinds of shellfish in Capiz is still in effect.
The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist head Sylvia dela Cruz disclosed that the directive of Governor Victor Tanco remains in force after the coastal waters and shellfish meat sample especially in Sapian Bay are still positive of red tide toxin.
Dela Cruz said that based on the September 14 results of sampling, the red tide organisms are still present in water in five out of nine sampling stations in Sapian Bay which covers Ivisan and Sapian towns.
She added that aside from the water, the toxicity of shellfish samples reached 66-67 micro-gram per 100 grams shellfish meat which is still beyond the regulatory limit set by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
In the September 15 sampling in Panay water, the presence of red tide organisms in the six sampling stations in the area was noted at 5 to 50 cells per liter. However, the shellfish samples remain negative of said toxin.
Dela Cruz said that they are closely monitoring the coastal waters here until such time that the density of red tide organism goes down to zero in all sampling stations.
So far, the towns of Sapian and Ivisan have already put their respective towns under the state of calamity following the contamination of the red tide toxin. (JCM/JBG/PIA6)
