A Review of the Marine Biotoxin Monitoring Programme for Non-Commercially Harvested ShellfishDate of publication: December 2000
Prior to a major biotoxins event in the summer of 1992-93, New Zealand had no recorded incidence of marine biotoxins of public health significance. A marine biotoxin monitoring programme, covering both commercial and non-commercial shellfish harvesting, has been operating since 1993. The current non-commercial marine biotoxin monitoring programme involves regular sampling at 30 phytoplankton sampling sites and 57 shellfish sampling sites. Data from the commercial biotoxin monitoring programme are also purchased. The programme is designed to monitor for potentially toxic phytoplankton, and for the presence of Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning (NSP), Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP), Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP) and Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) (Okadaic acid and dinophysistoxins) toxins at levels that present a risk to human health.
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