Hawke Bay’s toxic kaimoana: Fresh warning for salty delicacy

A warning about eating shellfish still applies along Hawke's Bay's coastline. Photo / Paul Taylor

Napier City Council has issued a renewed warning not to collect shellfish from anywhere along the coast from Te Awanga to Bay View after harmful viruses and bacteria were found in mussels.

This is in addition to a New Zealand Food Safety’s (NZFS) recent message to the public not to eat shellfish gathered from the East Coast of the North Island due to the presence of paralytic shellfish toxins, caused by algae.

Napier council, Hastings District Council, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and Te Whatu Ora said the risks extend to animals eaten raw, such as kina. Finned fish are considered low risk if there are adequate food safety precautions such as removing the gut then cooking the fish.

In conjunction with NZFS and Te Whatu Ora, Napier council has been testing shellfish in this area for viruses and bacteria as part of cyclone monitoring. Further testing will be carried out in the coming weeks.

Earlier this month NZFS deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle said various factors cause the floating algae that produces “dangerous” paralytic shellfish toxins.

“There’s been a lot of flooding in the region, which may have introduced a lot of nutrients into the water to help these blooms thrive,” Arbuckle said.

Signs have been placed in affected areas and communities are being warned that eating shellfish collected from the area could cause serious illness.

Te Whatu Ora medical officer of health Dr Bridget Wilson said the symptoms of norovirus and salmonella are similar and include vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, stomach cramps, chills and nausea. Anyone who develops illness after eating shellfish should phone Healthline for advice on 0800 61 11 16.

This advice applies only to recreationally gathered shellfish, not mussels available for sale in retail outlets.