Manila: The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in the Caraga Region (BFAR-13) assured the public that shellfish and other marine products harvested from the region’s waters are safe for consumption.

According to Philippines News Agency, this assessment is contained in a Shellfish Bulletin released by BFAR, with a copy obtained on Wednesday. “Shellfish and seawater samples collected from the coastal waters of Hinatuan, Lianga, and Bislig Bay in Surigao del Sur, as well as from San Benito in Surigao del Norte, continue to test negative for Paralytic Shellfish Poison (PSP), commonly known as toxic red tide,” stated BFAR-13.

The agency further stated unequivocally that shellfish and other marine products originating from these specified bodies of water within the Caraga Region are safe for human consumption.

The same BFAR bulletin, however, indicated that samples from two areas in Mindanao, specifically Dumanquillas Bay in Zamboanga del Sur and Tantanang Bay in Zamboanga Sibugay, were found to be positive for the presence of toxic red tide.