Bivalve shellfish in some Bay of Plenty areas and some places on the east of the Coromandel Peninsula could contain dangerous toxins and should not be eaten, including mussels, oysters and scallops, and pūpū (cat's eyes), authorities have warned. Photo: 123RF
People are being advised not to collect or eat shellfish gathered from areas in the Bay of Plenty and the east side of the Coromandel Peninsula.
New Zealand Food Safety said routine tests from Waihi Beach had showed potentially lethal levels of paralytic toxins in shellfish.
They issued a warning for a wide area covering the southern end of Pauanui Beach, to the entrance of Tauranga Harbour by Mount Maunganui, including the Harbour itself.
Symptoms of the toxin could include numbness and tingling around the mouth, face, hands, and feet; difficult swallowing, dizziness, nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting.
Severe cases could lead to paralysis or death.
Affected shellfish include bivalves such as mussels, oysters and scallops, and pūpū, or cat's eyes. Finfish are not affected, but NZ Food Safety said people should carefully gut the fish and discard the liver before cooking finfish.
It said commercially shellfish are carefully monitored to ensure they were safe to eat.
"Please do not gather and eat shellfish from this area because anyone doing so could get sick," NZ Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle said.
"It's also important to know that cooking the shellfish does not remove the toxin."
The agency said there had been no reports of anyone getting sick from the toxin, but if anyone was concerned, they should call Healthline on 0800 611 116, and should keep any leftover shellfish so they could be tested.
"NZFS is monitoring shellfish in the region and will notify the public of any changes to the situation", Arbuckle said.
