New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) have issued an urgent public health warning, urging people not to collect or consume shellfish from the Eastern Bay of Plenty coastline between Opape and East Cape.
It follows the detection of paralytic shellfish toxins in mussels from Te Kaha, at levels more than double the safe limit set by MPI.
Ten different shellfish are impacted including kina, pipi, mussels, oysters, cockles, scallops, pūpū (cat’s eyes), tuatua, toheroa and Cook’s turban. Symptoms from eating infected shellfish include difficulty swallowing, nausea, and headaches. NZFS warns paralysis, respiratory failure and, in severe cases, death could occur.
Pāua, crab, and crayfish need to be completely gutted before cooking to be edible. Finfish are not impacted by the health warning but gutting before cooking is still advised. Commercially harvested shellfish, which are available in local supermarkets and exported, are subject to strict monitoring to ensure they are safe to eat.
The paralytic toxins are caused by an algal bloom, which is an issue across the Bay.
"This type of algae produces a dangerous toxin and, when shellfish filter-feed, these toxins can accumulate in their gut and flesh.
"Generally, the more algae there are in the water, the more toxic the shellfish get," says NZFS deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle.
A warning is also in place for shellfish from Mount Maunganui to Ford Road near Maketu.
Nine shellfish are impacted including tuatua, pipi, toheroa, pūpū (cat’s eyes), mussels, oysters, cockles, scallops and Cook’s turban.
The public are advised to not eat any shellfish until further notice. Further updates will be published on the Ministry of Primary Industries shellfish biotoxins alerts page.
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