New Zealand Food Safety has issued a public health warning against gathering shellfish from Port Underwood in the Marlborough region. The region’s shoreline stretches from Rununder Point to Rarangi.

Regular tests on samples of shellfish collected from this area have revealed levels of PSP toxins over the permissible limit of 0.8mg/kg established by New Zealand Food Safety. There is a chance of getting sick if you consume shellfish from this region.

All bivalve shellfish, including mussels, oysters, tuatua, pipi, toheroa, cockles, scallops, catseyes, kina (sea urchin), and others, should not be consumed. Cooking shellfish does not eliminate the poison. Paua, crab, and crayfish can still be eaten even after the gut has been fully removed before boiling since poisons build up in the intestine. The gut’s contents could taint the meat during cooking if it is not removed.

Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and in extreme cases, paralysis or even death, are all signs of toxic shellfish poisoning. To avoid this kind of poisoning, it’s crucial to stay away from shellfish from regions where there are known red tides or algal blooms.

Call Healthline at 0800 61 11 16 for guidance. Commercially harvested shellfish are safe to eat, and MPI has strict water and meat monitoring programs in place.