Tests on shellfish around Orewa show no sign of toxin from an algal bloom that has invaded the coast north of Auckland, according to public health authorities.
The health protection officer for Auckland District Health Board's regional public health service, Leslie Breach, said shellfish sampled were free of toxins and so
far the public were not being warned to stay out of the water.
Monitoring would continue and if the situation changed health warnings would be issued, he said.
The algal bloom was present around the whole of the Hauraki Gulf, from Great Barrier Island to the Firth of Thames, but was present at much denser levels near the Orewa/Red Beach area. Intense spots of the bloom were likely to be discovered at this time of year, Mr Breach said.
About 10,000 dead fish washed up along the coast over the past three days, but because most were estuary or shallow water dwellers it was thought they probably suffocated.
Further reading
nzherald.co.nz/environment
