Selling of shellfish continues in Sorsogon

03 November 2007

LEGAZPI CITY—DESPITE REPORTS on the death of another red tide victim on Monday, market vendors here and in Daraga, Albay persist in selling shellfish from Sorsogon.

The latest victim was identified as Arjay Jesalva, 5, sibling of the two victims who died on Oct. 27.

Eleven more individuals were rushed to the Fernando Memorial Hospital for shellfish poisoning after eating tahong.

Reynaldo Leynes, whose family of seven were all taken to the hospital, said they were forced to eat tahong for lack of food to eat. Four of their neighbors, to whom they had sold some of their shellfish, also fell ill.

Despite the government-imposed ban on the gathering and eating of shellfish, vendors in public markets in Legazpi City and in neighboring town of Daraga continued selling shellfish from Sorsogon waters, which had been reported to be have been invaded by red tide since last week.

Neil dela Peña, 29, of Barangay Alcala in Daraga town said he did not believe there was red tide and that the people reported dead in Sorsogon City could have eaten something else aside from shellfish.

Dela Peña, who sells shellfish from Pilar, Sorsogon for P25 per kg at the Daraga public market, said some customers returned what they bought after they learned of reports on the red tide.

Rodrigo Miranda, 53, of Kilicao Daraga, Albay said there had been a decrease in his earnings since news about the red tide broke out but, just like Dela Peña, he said he did not believe the shellfish he was selling from Bucalbucalan, Sorsogon was not safe for human consumption.

Irma Mora, aquaculturist II of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, said selling shellfish from the Sorsogon Bay was not allowed.

“If one area in the province was found out to be invaded by red tide, we impose a shellfish ban even on other areas within that province to be safe,” she said.

She said BFAR had deployed quarantine officers to public markets who would confiscate shellfish from Sorsogon Bay. Bobby Labalan and Ephraim Aguilar, Inquirer Southern Luzon