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Beach warning as toxic fish wash ashore

Author
Zoe Hunter, NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Wed, 17 Jan 2018, 3:26PM
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Beach warning as toxic fish wash ashore

Author
Zoe Hunter, NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Wed, 17 Jan 2018, 3:26PM

Marine experts are warning people to stay away from toxic puffer fish that have washed ashore at Mount Maunganui.

The Bay of Plenty Times spotted seven spiked puffer fish, two small birds and a little blue penguin washed up on the Mount's Main Beach between Mt Drury and the base of Mauao.

Top Tauranga marine ecologist Professor Chris Battershill said the washed-up fish were related to the poisonous Japanese puffer fish fugu.

"The spines are sharp. The liver and other parts of the fish are very toxic," Battershill said. "Dogs shouldn't be allowed near them either."

Battershill said it was very unusual for so many puffer fish to have washed up on the beach, but suggested it had something to do with the high winds and recent storm.

"When there has been a lot of strong northeasterlies and heavy waves, [the puffer fish] get tired and stressed and blow themselves up a bit, which gives them issues when there is heavy swells coming in," Battershill said.

"They will try to swim close to the reef but those in the shallow areas are a bit more vulnerable and they get exhausted."

He said a puffer fish had washed up on the beach this time last year but it was odd that several had washed up all at once.

Cockrem said a number of birds washed ashore after the big storm battered the Bay this month.

"Fledglings have the hardest time learning to swim and we do find little blue penguins washed up on the beach regularly," Cockrem said.

"We have had a lot of strong northeasterly winds so that would be flowing birds along the coast. It doesn't seem anything out of the ordinary."

Cockrem encouraged people to contact the Western Bay Wildlife Trust if they spotted dead birds washed up on the shore.

 

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