Cape Town – The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has warned the public not to collect or consume any wild shellfish from Saldanha Bay and surrounding coastal areas until further notice.
The department stated that monitoring undertaken on Monday, 25 May 2026, detected very high levels of Paralytic Shellfish Toxins (PST) in mussels and oysters in the Saldanha Bay farms, with toxin levels recorded at more than 15 times the regulatory safety limit.
“High concentrations of toxin-producing phytoplankton (Alexandrium catenella) have also been recorded, indicating a significant harmful algal bloom,” the department said.
In that regard, the production areas in Saldanha Bay have been closed for harvesting for human consumption.
“At this stage, it is not clear how widespread this risk is along the West Coast, and toxin levels may vary across different areas,” the department said.
Consumption of contaminated shellfish, for example, mussels, can cause serious illness (paralytic shellfish poisoning) and may be life-threatening.
“Members of the public are strongly advised to avoid harvesting or eating any wild shellfish from Saldanha Bay and surrounding coastal areas until further notice,” the department said.
