Public warned against eating shellfish following mass die-off

Zuko Komisa

A colourless, invisible “red tide” has caused a mass wash-up of dead mussels and whelks at St Helena Bay and Elandsbaai.
Authorities warn that the shellfish contain paralytic neurotoxins that pose a severe, potentially fatal health risk to humans.
The DFFE has banned the consumption of all local shellfish while they monitor the geographical spread of the harmful algal bloom.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has issued an urgent health warning following mass mortalities of white mussels, whelks, and other shellfish at St Helena Bay and Elandsbaai.

Large numbers of dead marine animals were discovered washed ashore earlier this week.

Officials have identified a Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB), or “red tide,” as the likely cause.

This particular bloom is colourless and invisible to the naked eye, but it carries potent neurotoxins.

The shellfish were found to have been paralysed by these toxins, leaving them unable to burrow before being swept onto the beach.

The public is strictly cautioned against consuming any shellfish from the region, whether found washed up or collected live.

These toxins pose a severe risk of paralytic shellfish poisoning, which is extremely dangerous to humans. The DFFE continues to monitor the West Coast to track the extent of the bloom and the resulting impact on marine life.