Bernama 7 Apr 15;
LABUAN, April 7 (Bernama) -- The Labuan Fisheries Department (LFD) is monitoring water quality off the island in the wake of red tide phenomenon occurrence since last week.
Its director Anuar Salam Sulaiman said the department was working closely with Labuan Health Department in monitoring the situation and keeping updates to consumers and fishmongers on the latest development.
"The LFD had taken water samples last Friday and early this week in waters off Patau-Patau, Rancha-Rancha and Sg Miri Kiansam and sent them to the Likas Fisheries Research Centre laboratory for analysis.
"We hope to obtain the analysis result soon and to determine which marine life is harmful for consumption," he said here today.
He said so far no cases of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) had been reported.
Red tide is named after the reddish colour that toxic plankton produces and certain marine creatures that feed on the contaminated plankton had caused deaths in Sabah in the early 1980s. The phenomenon is also known in the Philippines waters.
"We expect the red tide to last for about two to three weeks and we will be providing updated information from time to time," he said.
As a precautionary measure, Health Department director Dr Ismail Ali said the public were advised to stop eating any types of shellfish or bivalves immediately.
Bivalves includes oysters, mussels, cockles and any types of clam-like seafood, and fishes like pelagic, selayang, basung, kembong and rumahan.
At present there was no medication or antidote for PSP, he said.
He said early symptoms of PSP after eating seafood included tingling of lips, headache, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
"In severe conditions patient can develop paralysis of chest and abdominal muscles which can result in death within two to 23 hours," he said.
--BERNAMA
