Published: 4 August, 2025

Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning | What is it and why should we care?

Love gathering kaimoana? So do we. But we've noticed harmful algal blooms (HABs) are increasing, bringing with them the very real risk of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP). PSP is invisible, can’t be cooked out of kaimoana, and even small amounts can cause serious illness, including numbness, paralysis, and in extreme cases death. The symptoms can persist for weeks or even months.

What’s causing it?

HABs are natural; however, climate change is making them increasingly larger, longer lasting, and more toxic, driven by warmer oceans, nutrient pollution, and currents.

In 2023, HABs shut down all shellfish gathering across Te Tauihu for over 5 months! Right now, in South Australia and California, HABs are responsible for causing mass strandings of thousands of species, including humpback whales, dolphins, and sea lions. HABs at this scale are a tohu of imbalance in the moana...one we can’t ignore.

Why this matters for us of Te Ātiawa o te Waka-a-Māui?

Kaimoana gathering isn’t just about kai. It’s about tuakiri, whakapapa, manaaki, and mātauranga tuku iho.

E kī ana tō tātou pepeha, 'Ko tō Te Atiawa, ko tahuaroa' - Te Ātiawa the bountiful hosts.

Nā reira, risks to our mahinga kai practices like PSP, threaten our collective identity.

So what can we do?

Check for shellfish safety alerts before gathering kaimoana: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/.../shellfish-biotoxin-alerts/
Learn the signs - look out for orange juice-coloured wai in the moana, which indicates a PSP bloom.
Kōrero with whānau, especially tamariki and kaumātua, about the risks when you see shellfish safety alerts.
Tiakina te wai - This October, we begin monthly whānau-led monitoring in Kura Te Au. We'll head out by boat, observe tohu, and monitor for PSP.

Register your interest for these trips here:

https://forms.monday.com/.../cb48c28bcbfdae70bd2d152286d9...

Pictured above are whānau kaitiaki in Whatamango Bay at our recent Kaitiaki Kaimoana Wānanga, held in partnership with Cawthron Institute, as part of our Te Ātiawa o te Waka-a-Māui Mana Moana Strategy to uphold and protect the mauri of our moana.

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