Millions of pipi as far as the eye can see, lay dead and dying on Horowhenua's shoreline.
Millions of pipi as far as the eye can see, lay dead and dying on Horowhenua's shoreline.
A shellfish warning has been issued for Waitarere Beach and Hokio Beach in Horowhenua after millions of dead and dying pipi were washed up on the coast last night.
The phenomenon also happened in Waihi last week and in Whangarei in 2015; both incidents have yet to be definitively diagnosed.
The shellfish in Waihi were believed to have suffocated after torrential rain. The pipi population from Whangarei harbour slumped from 10,000 tonnes to less than 100 tonnes, and is believed to have been poisoned by a naturally occurring compound from pine, acting similarly to a pesticide.
Pipi lay baking on Waitarere Beach.
MidCentral Public Health Service Medical Officer Dr Rob Weir said that while is it unknown what is causing the shellfish deaths in Horowhenua, anyone eating shellfish from this area could get sick.
"Cooking shellfish washed up on the beach does not make it safe to eat," Dr Weir said.
"Signage is being put up to alert people to the health risk. Further investigations will be taken to find out what is causing the shellfish deaths."
The alert covers the area between Waitarere Beach in the north, to Hokio Beach in the south, but people are also warned not to eat shellfish washed up on the beach outside of this area.
Cambodian woman Chann Locke collecting pipi from Waitarere, unaware of the potential dangers of eating them.
Horizons Regional Council pollution duty officer Hamish Sutherland said the team was first alerted to the shellfish by a caller on Friday morning.
"At this stage there is no obvious source of pollution so our main concern is the public collecting the shellfish with the intention of eating them, which we do not want," says Mr Sutherland.
Palmerston North man Rick Smeling arrived at Waitarere Beach today, but was hesitant to put out his long-line, worried about what was going on with 'mother nature'
Hokio Beach resident and kaumatua for local iwi Muaupoko Peter Huria, said that it was a devastating tragedy to see the fisheries in this state.
