Red tide in Sabah: Fisheries Dept bans shellfish from affected areas for now

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Fisheries Department has taken several measures following the red tide phenomenon here including a temporary ban on the harvesting, sale and consumption of shellfish from affected areas.

Deputy Chief Minister and state Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said this followed the discovery of red tide-causing algae in coastal waters around Kota Kinabalu and Tuaran recently.

He said the Fisheries Department had also issued a Red Tide Explosion Warning Notice.

He said the notice was issued based on established guidelines and procedures, indicating that a red tide explosion was currently happening in Kota Kinabalu waters and was expected to spread to Tuaran waters.

"People are advised to refrain from swimming in the waters around Kota Kinabalu and Tuaran until further notice.

"The government is monitoring the situation and will provide updates as necessary," Kitingan said in a statement on Sunday (Feb 19).

He said while the red tide was a natural occurrence that could be exacerbated by factors such as climate change and human activities such as pollution and overfishing, it did pose health and environmental risks.

"It is important for the public to be aware of the risks associated with red tide and to take precautions," he added.

The phenomenon, which was caused by an increase in the population of certain types of algae – Margalefidinium polykrikoides (Cochlodium) and Pyrodinium bahamense – could produce harmful toxins that affected marine life and human health, Kitingan said.

He said while Margalefidinium polykrikoides was not harmful to humans, it was dangerous to fish, especially those raised in cages where an explosion with a high cell density could cause great fish mortality, causing losses to fish farmers.

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