Don’t eat the seafood: Residents warned not to collect washed-up deadly crayfish

The department of forestry, fisheries and the environment (DFFE) has issued a red tide alert urging residents to stay away from the shoreline at Elands Bay and to avoid collecting or eating West Coast Rock crayfish that have washed up on the beach. “A severe red tide has hit Elands Bay, causing a mass walkout of West Coast rock lobsters,” the department said. The algal bloom has triggered the “walkout”.

This is a phenomenon in which the crustaceans flee the water due to oxygen depletion caused by the bloom. The department confirmed that people had already been removed from the beach. “Over 20 people have already been removed from the beach as they attempted to collect them.” Authorities have been unequivocal about the danger these lobsters pose to public health.

The algal bloom responsible for the red tide produces harmful neurotoxins that accumulate in marine life, making consumption potentially fatal. The department stressed that even lobsters that appear recently deceased could be dangerous. “They may contain lethal neurotoxins from the algal bloom or be rapidly decaying,” the DFFE warned.

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“Ingestion can lead to severe illness or death.” Beyond issuing warnings to the public, the DFFE said it is actively working to manage the situation along the shoreline. Efforts are focused on saving marine life where possible.

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