The region's medical officer of health Jim Miller lifted the health warning about the oil spill but then put in place another to deal with the toxin.
"It is disappointing to have to give such mixed news on the safety of shellfish, Dr Miller said. "Just as we are able to reassure people about the impact of the oil spill, nature has presented another hazard."
Then on Dec 3, TVNZ reported Fishing competition shows Rena effects fading:
Public health officials have now declared fish and crayfish in the area edible after hundreds of tonnes of oil spilled from the ship when it ran aground, damaging wildlife and sparking a massive clean up.
TVNZ then informed people that it was safe to eat shellfish collected from the Bay of Plenty, despite a Waikato District Health Board warning saying the shellfish is toxic.
Then on Dec 4 CRI reported More Oil Pollution Expected from Cargo Ship Grounded off New Zealand:
More oil from a cargo ship that has been grounded on a New Zealand reef for two months is expected to wash up on the country's beaches after the wreck was battered by recent strong swells, shipping authority officials said Sunday.
The oil had slowly leaked from the duct keel, a system of pipes running along the bottom of the ship, since the Liberian-flagged Rena grounded and had probably been exposed to sea water for some time, a Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) official told the Fairfax news organization.
MNZ national on scene commander Mick Courtnell said salvors working on the Rena Saturday saw blobs of oil floating from the wreck, which has been stuck on the Astrolabe Reef, 12 nautical miles off the east of the North Island, since Oct 5.
I presume the additional oil spilling from the MV Rena halted the second day of the fishing competition?
The problem here is that the government, fishing and tourism industries want the pollution swept under the carpet because they only care about money. They appear ready to provide obvious false information that is putting peoples lives in danger to protect their brands.
