Shellfish warning stays

Health warning on the consumption of shellfish from Bay of Plenty waters.

A health warning on the consumption of shellfish collected from Bay of Plenty waters remains in place this Christmas, despite large numbers of people filling up their buckets at local shores.

The toxic shellfish warning has been in place since November 2014.

This time last year 27 people had been poisoned by paralytic shellfish in the Western Bay area.

So far this summer, there have been no admissions to Tauranga Hospital and Toi Te Ora Public Health Service was not aware of any other notifications of shellfish poisoning, said medical officer of health Dr Phil Shoemack.

"We haven't had any reports but that doesn't mean to say we haven't had anyone with some level of poisoning."

Dr Shoemack said the warnings were not a ban.

"Our job is to make sure if people continue to smoke, or collect shellfish, they know the ramifications of that."

Paralytic shellfish poisoning could be a very serious illness, sometimes fatal.

In December 2012, 29 people were hospitalised with at least two people being admitted to the intensive care unit.

"We put out these warnings advising people they are at risk. We realise not everyone's complying with the advisory but it's advice. It's up to people to make their own decisions," he said.

The shellfish warning applies to all shorelines from south Whangamata to eastern Pukehina. The area includes Tauranga Harbour, Maketu and Waihi estuaries, Matakana and Motiti Islands, and all other islands along this coastline.

Dr Shoemack said it was possible the warmer weather heightened the risk of poisoning.

"I'd be very surprised if, in summer, the toxins went so low that they lifted the warning," he said. "If there was any change at all, it's likely to be increasing the area the warning applies to."

In the Bay of Plenty area, the level of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning toxins have reached levels of 1.4mg/kg - nearly twice the safe limit set by the Ministry for Primary Industries.

Papamoa resident David Holland said he saw people collecting shellfish from the beach daily. He was concerned at the large numbers of people collecting who might not be aware the shellfish was unsafe to eat.

Paralytic shellfish poisoning:

* It can affect mussels, oysters, tuatua, pipi, toheroa, cockles, scallops, cat's eyes, kina (sea urchin) and all other bivalve shellfish.