Toxic shellfish warning finally removed, two years later

The warning against collected or consuming shellfish has been lifted. Photo/file

A warning advising people not to collect or eat shellfish from Bay of Plenty shores has been removed, more than two years after the warning was first put in place

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) lifted the health warning this morning.

People were asked to steer clear of shellfish from Bay of Plenty shores due to marine biotoxins from toxic algae.

In a statement released at 11.10am, the Ministry said ''following extensive sampling of shellfish along this coastline, test results now show that shellfish are now safe to consume''.

Warning signs are expected to be taken down in the near future.

''The public are reminded to check the MPI website for biotoxin warnings before gathering shellfish and to follow MPI advice on safe seafood harvesting.''

People who becomes ill after eating shellfish should phone Healthline for advice on 0800 61 11 16, or seek medical attention immediately. They are also advised to contact the nearest public health unit and keep any leftover shellfish for testing.

Monitoring of toxin levels will continue and any changes will be communicated accordingly. There are currently no warnings in place for biotoxins in shellfish in New Zealand.