Capetonians urged to steer clear of pufferfish washed ashore in Simon's Town

Capetonians urged to steer clear of pufferfish washed ashore in Simon's Town

By Nicole McCain

Source: news 24

3/31/2022

More than 80 pufferfish have washed ashore at a Cape Town beach, and Capetonians have been warned to steer clear of them.

The City of Cape Town said the pufferfish washed ashore on Long Beach in Simon's Town on Wednesday.

Penguin rangers from Seaforth have been collecting and bagging the fish for proper disposal.

The City said in a statement:

Residents and visitors are reminded not to handle the pufferfish. Those walking their dogs should ensure that their pets do not come in contact with the fish either as it carries the neurotoxin tetrodotoxin and should not be consumed.

It was unclear what caused the fish to wash ashore, the statement read.

The City said it will be monitoring beaches from Fish Hoek to Simon's Town in the coming days. Any further pufferfish will be removed.