Toxic algal blooms are present in Tasmanian waters, leading Fisheries Tasmania to issue a public health alert for wild shellfish caught on the East Coast.
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Wild shellfish from Great Oyster Bay, Great Swanport, Little Swanport, Spring Bay (including the areas around Mercury Passage, Orford, Triabunna and Maria Island), Nubeena/Wedge Bay and the east coast of Bruny Island, including Adventure Bay, cannot be eaten.
Wild shellfish include oysters, mussels, clams, pipis, cockles and wedge shells.
Abalone, scallop roe and rock lobster intestines and livers can also be affected by toxic algal blooms.
Fisheries Tasmania said high levels algal toxins were detected in wild shellfish from these areas, but seafood in shops and restaurants is safe to eat as they are commercially grown.
“Because toxins have also been detected recently in shellfish from as far south as Bruny Island, wild shellfish from anywhere along the East Coast may pose a risk,” the alert said.
“Recreationally harvested shellfish from these waters should not be eaten because the algal toxins are harmful to humans,” Fisheries Tasmania’s alert said.
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Shellfish poisoning symptom include:
- Tingling or numbness
- Weakness
- Blurred vision
- Difficulty breathing
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea.
If you become sick after eating wild shellfish seek medical advice.