North Island warning
| Reason for alert | Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) |
| Date warning issued | 10 May 2023 |
| Affected area | Western side of the Firth of Thames. |
| Shellfish affected | Mussels, oysters, tuatua, pipi, toheroa, cockles, scallops, catseyes, kina (sea urchin) and all other bivalve shellfish.
Note, cooking shellfish does not remove the toxin. Pāua, crab and crayfish may still be eaten if the gut has been completely removed prior to cooking, as toxins accumulate in the gut. If the gut is not removed its contents could contaminate the meat during the cooking process. |
| Symptoms | Symptoms typically appear between 10 minutes and 3 hours after ingestion and may include:
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| Other information | Paralytic shellfish toxins have been detected in shellfish from the Kaipara Harbour at levels over the safe limit of 0.8mg/kg set by MPI. Ongoing testing will continue and any changes will be communicated accordingly. |
Map of the affected area
Public warnings about toxic shellfish
We test shellfish and seawater for toxic algae every week from popular shellfish gathering areas around New Zealand. If the shellfish are not safe to eat, we issue public health warnings and put up signs at affected beaches.
FoodWorld 