Marine Bio-toxin alert for Port Underwood

Date warning issued

31 May 2023

Affected area

Port Underwood

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:

• numbness and a tingling (prickly feeling) around the mouth, face, and extremities (hands and feet)
• difficulty swallowing or breathing
• dizziness
• headache
• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhoea
• paralysis and respiratory failure and in severe cases, death.

Other information

Paralytic shellfish toxins have been detected in mussels throughout Port Underwood at levels well over the safe limit of 0.8mg/kg set by New Zealand Food Safety. Ongoing testing will continue and any changes will be communicated accordingly.