Seafood warning ahead of Christmas for oysters, muscles, crabs: Broken Bay
>
Urgent seafood warning issued just days out from Christmas with toxin found in popular shellfish that can leave anyone who eats it paralysed
- Warning over seafood caught in Broken Bay area, just north of Sydney
- Fears toxic algae bloom outbreak could cause Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning
- Mussels, oysters from there should be avoided, also guts of crabs and lobsters
- Seafood in shops, restaurants safe as government checks commercial catches
<!–
<!–
<!–<!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
Sydneysiders are warned not to eat seafood collected or caught in the Broken Bay area due to an outbreak of toxic algae bloom, with fears it could cause Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP).
Mussels and oysters should not be eaten as well as the guts of crabs and lobsters if they are caught by recreational fishers in the area according to the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI).
However, the department says that seafood available in shops and restaurants is ‘safe to eat because the NSW Food Authority monitors the safety of commercially harvested shellfish.’
Seafood could be off the menu for some Sydneysiders this Christmas, with a scare about toxins found in fish caught in one area
Oysters, mussels, scallops, cockles and clams should not be eaten if they were caught or collected in the Broken Bay area. Shellfish from shops or restaurants are understood to be safe
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.’
Symptoms of PSP include numbness and a tingling/prickly feeling around the mouth, face and extremities, difficulty swallowing or breathing, dizziness and headache.
More severe cases can see people experience nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, paralysis, respiratory failure and in severe cases, death.
The ‘guts’ (hepatopancreas) of crabs and lobsters caught around Broken Bay shouldn’t be eaten but white meat from those shellfish is safe to eat
An outbreak of toxic algae bloom in the Broken Bay area, between Sydney and the Central Coast is responsible. There are fears the toxin could cause Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) if consumed
Dr Tracey said symptoms usually appear within 10 minutes to three hours of eating.
‘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.’