The NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) advises people not to consume shellfish (including bivalves, such as mussels and oysters, or the guts of crabs and lobsters) collected or caught in the Broken Bay area due to a localised outbreak of toxic algae bloom, at the risk of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP).
Recreationally harvested shellfish should not be eaten because the algal toxins are harmful to humans. Blooms can be more frequent in spring and summer and are exacerbated by adverse weather.
Deputy Director General for Biosecurity and Food Safety John Tracey said the current affected area includes the waters of Broken Bay upstream to Cowan Creek, the coastal zone between Little Beach (Bouddi) and Bangalley Headland and Pittwater.
"Paralytic shellfish toxins are produced by certain toxic algae species and shellfish such as oysters, mussels, scallops, cockles and clams should not be taken or consumed from this area," Dr Tracey said.
"With Christmas just around the corner, it's important that communities in the Broken Bay area take extra precautions when collecting and consuming seafood. Cooking the product does not remove the risks posed by this toxin.
"It is recommended that recreational fishers do not consume shellfish including bivalves (mussels and oysters) or the hepatopancreas (guts) of crabs and lobsters (white meat is safe to eat) caught in the Broken Bay area."
"Seafood available for purchase in shops and restaurants is safe to eat because the NSW Food Authority monitors the safety of commercially harvested shellfish."
Dr Tracey said symptoms usually appear within 10 minutes to three hours of eating. Symptoms may include:
- numbness and a tingling (prickly feeling) around the mouth, face, and extremities (hands and feet);
- difficulty swallowing or breathing;
- dizziness and headache;
- nausea and vomiting;
- diarrhoea; and
- paralysis and respiratory failure and in severe cases, death.
"Anyone experiencing these symptoms after eating seafood from or near the affected area should seek immediate medical attention," Dr Tracey said.
"Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning is rare, but it is important that people follow this advice to avoid getting sick.
Algal blooms can occur anywhere along the coast and are normally the result of the surge of nutrient rich deep ocean water onto the continental shelf and can often be seen after rainfall events in estuaries and in river mouths. Some of these algae produce harmful toxins that can build up in marine shellfish.
