Overview
- The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment confirmed large numbers of dead white mussels, whelks and other shellfish on beaches at St Helena Bay and Elandsbaai over the past 48 hours.
- The public has been urged not to eat any shellfish from affected shore or subtidal areas, including animals washed ashore.
- The department says the paralysis pattern and beach washouts are most consistent with a harmful algal bloom producing paralytic shellfish poisoning neurotoxins.
- The bloom is reported to be invisible to the naked eye, and authorities are continuing monitoring to determine its extent and impacts.
- Red tides are seasonal along the West Coast in summer and autumn, with a 2021 event linked to about 1,000 kg of rock lobster deaths.