Eating shellfish collected in the Bay of Plenty will make you sick, and in the worst case might kill you.
Bay of Plenty's Medical officer of Health Dr Neil de Wet says there's been a large number of people suffering paralytic shellfish poisoning in the past few months.
With visitor numbers higher over Easter, he's asking locals to pass on the message about not collecting shellfish.
The affected area is the entire coastline south from Tairua, along the Bay of Plenty coast to Whakatane Heads including all the harbours, estuaries, and islands.
Mussels, pipi, tuatua, cockles, oysters, scallops, catseyes and kina (sea urchin) shouldn't be consumed.
