Shellfish Toxin Creeping Down N-Z Coastline

A potentially fatal toxin is reportedly slowly moving down the west coast of New Zealand's North Island.

Shellfish samples taken from Wanganui last week showed levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxin to be twice the regulatory limit.

Before this, the southernmost limit of that level was at Ohawe Beach near Hawera, 77 kilometres southeast of New Plymouth.

The public are being warned not to collect or consume shellfish harvested on the coastline.

The ban, which covers all shellfish, crabs and crayfish, took effect from June 23rd after a toxic algae, never before found in New Zealand, was discovered in mussels from Maunganui Bluff.