Seafood test for toxic elements

The Ministry for Primary Industries wants to monitor food safety risks that could arise from consuming seafood after the Whakaari/White Island eruption.

In a proposal recently released it says it requires research services to deliver a monitoring programme to further their understanding of the food safety risks associated with consuming shellfish, crayfish and fin fish around Whakaari/ White Island.

The proposal said monitoring would include sample collection as well as analytical testing for toxic elements such as arsenic, cadmium and mercury.

A New Zealand Food Safety spokeswoman said monitoring of volcanic systems globally shows they can be a source for toxic elements naturally entering the environment. However, the implications of eruptions of marine volcanoes for seafood safety are poorly understood.

This was why they commissioned the seafood research programme to investigate the safety of seafood in the vicinity of Whakaari/White Island in the long-term and in the event of future eruptions.

After the December eruption New Zealand Food Safety issued advice on consuming seafood from within a 1km buffer zone of the Island.

Mick Goodin, owner of The Gambler Charters, said the eruption had definitely affected business in the area.

The recommendation to not fish close to the island saw Goodin lose a lot of business, with this recommendation only lifted two weeks ago.

Goodin said he had offered to take fish samples for MPI so they could see if there was any contamination.

The tender for testing is set to close on March 20.