Red tide level not dangerous yet: Dept
Published on: Thursday, June 08, 2017
Kota Kinabalu: The current level of red tide in the waters off the State's West Coast has not reached dangerous levels, said State Fisheries Department Director Dr Ahemad Sade.He said thus the situation is not a threat to public health when they consume shellfish and prawns including oysters, mussels, cockles and any type of clam-like seafood."Red tide is a natural phenomenon and a common occurrence only in the waters off the West Coast in Sabah.
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"However, there is no need for public to panic as the red tide situation now is at normal level based on our monitoring and analysis results of the Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) toxins in seawater, molluscs and fish from January until May this year."Based on our latest readings in May, the level is zero where no PSP toxins are detected. But if the PSP toxins level reached 80 microorganism per hundred grammes, then the public would be advised to refrain from consuming shellfish or bivalves," he said to Daily Express here on Wednesday.Dr Ahemad was commenting on a letter issued by the Public Health Division of the Sabah Health Office dated June 1, 2017 on the presence of red tide in waters off the West Coast of Sabah that was meant for their respective health officers in Sabah and widely spread in the social media particularly via WhatsApp on Wednesday.The letter stated that the red tide has been detected in waters in Kota Kinabalu, Kota Belud, Kota Marudu, Beaufort, Sandakan, Kuala Penyu, Tawau and Pitas based on report samples from the Likas Fisheries Complex.
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It also stated that the situation has not reached dangerous levels and will not affect public health when they consume shellfish and prawns. However, residents in these districts were advised to take precautions so that untoward incidents could be prevented.Dr Ahemad said the department has been conducting year-long monitoring on the presence of PSP toxins by taking samples from the sea water, molluscs and fish based on schedules.
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He said the results of analysis reports would be forwarded to the Health Department that will inform their respective Area Medical Officers of Health (AMOH) and district health officers throughout the State to be alert."Normally red tide that reaches dangerous levels happens twice a year but since a few years ago, we noticed there has been no blooming of the deadly algae that can increase the PSP toxins in shellfish and fish."As to why the red tide has been at normal level, these few years, it is difficult to say but I believe there are scientific factors like conducive environment and weather conditions that contribute to the occurrence of red tide and other hypothesis. "As a matter of fact, the occurrence of this natural phenomenon is unpredictable. That is why we do regular monitoring and take samples from the seawater, molluscs and fish to detect the presence of PSP toxins in Sabah's West Coast waters," he said.Meanwhile, State Health Director Datuk Dr Christina Rundi responded in a Public Alert Group via WhatsApp that there is no cause for public alarm now although red tide has been detected in waters off the West Coast area as mentioned in the letter.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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