Manila, June 16 -- The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is warning the public against consuming shellfish and "alamang" (krill/small shrimp) after issuing a red tide advisory for Siit Bay in Siaton, Negros Oriental.

Florencia Mepana, BFAR-Negros Oriental provincial chief, told the Philippine News Agency on Monday that the BFAR-7 (Central Visayas) office found high levels of harmful toxins in water samples collected from the bay.

Mepana said they are also requesting shellfish meat samples from Siit Bay for further laboratory testing.

"Before declaring a red tide occurrence, we need to monitor a particular area for three consecutive weeks to determine and confirm the presence of organisms that can trigger a harmful algal ...