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 Lobsters 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 moved from the beach as they attempt to collect them.”
Why you should not eat the lobsters
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. “Ingestion can lead to severe illness or death.”
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What the DFFE is doing
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.
“The DFFE is monitoring the situation to rehabilitate live lobsters and safely dispose of the rest,” the department said, adding that residents should “please stay clear of the shoreline for your own safety.”
Not the first red tide warning this season
The Elands Bay alert is part of a broader pattern of red tide activity affecting the Western Cape coastline.
In early January, the DFFE issued a public warning advising against eating any marine animals washed up along the west and south coasts, citing the toxic risk posed by active algal blooms in the region.
In the week preceding that warning, the department had already cautioned against the consumption of white mussels, whelks and other shellfish at St Helena Bay and Elands Bay, signalling that red tide conditions had been building along the coast for some time.
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