BALANGA CITY, Bataan - The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) on Saturday issued an advisory banning the consumption, gathering or harvesting, transporting, and marketing of shellfish raised and caught along the coastal waters of this province. As per BFAR Advisory No. 61, shellfish samples collected from nine Bataan towns tested positive for the red tide toxin causing paralytic shellfish poisoning. Provincial agriculturist Joey Dizon said the samples were taken Friday afternoon. Covered by the shellfish ban are those raised and gathered from the towns of Hermosa, Orani, Samal, Abucay, Balanga City, Pilar, Orion, Limay, and Mariveles. The shellfish ban takes effect until such time that the toxicity levels of green mussels or tahong, oysters, and other bivalve products have gone below the regulatory limit. The regulatory limit for shellfish to be safe for human consumption is 60 unit grams of toxin per 100 grams of shellfish meat. Fish are safe for human consumption as long as they are fresh and with gills and intestines removed before cooking. (PNA) }