Shellfish ban broadens as poison travels along coast

Whakatane heads is out of bounds for collecting or eating shellfish. Photo / APN

Collecting or eating shellfish from Tairua to Whakatane Heads is out of bounds after a potentially paralysing poison spreads further around the coast.

The Toi Te Ora Public Health Service yesterday extended its health warning on eating shellfish which has been in place from Tairua south including Whiritoa, Whangamata, Onemana and Waihi since late 2011, to include the eastern Bay of Plenty and all other in-shore islands along the coastline.

The ban now includes Tairua, Tauranga Harbour, Maketu and Waihi estuaries to Whakatane Heads, as well as Matakana and Motiti Islands.

The Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning toxin (PSP) can be found in mussels, pipi, tuatua, cockles, oysters, scallops, catseyes and kina and can, in extreme cases, result in paralysis or respiratory failure.

Waikato DHB chief medical officer of health Dr Felicity Dumble said the Bay of Plenty had treated patients with symptoms from eating the contaminated shellfish and they had been extremely unwell. The Waikato Hospital had no reported cases to date.

She said contaminated shellfish remained an ongoing issue in the area and the contamination was often not visible. "If you develop any of the symptoms and you have eaten shellfish, get medical attention immediately. People also needed to be aware of where any shellfish collected privately had been sourced from. The gut should be removed from paua, crayfish and crabs before they are cooked."