Cape Town - The Overstrand Municipality has warned residents not to consume the meat of a Bryde's whale that washed up in Hermanus on Wednesday.
This follows the circulation of pictures and videos on social media of some residents cutting up the mammal soon after it washed ashore.
Overstrand municipal manager Dean O’Neill said they had issued a warning to residents not to eat the meat as it was still unknown why the whale had died.
“The Environmental Management Services and Law Enforcement attended the scene, but there was very little to be done to stop the people.
“As such, people were warned about the potential hazards of consuming the meat and the physical dangers of working with such a large animal that is constantly moving in the surf, and on slippery rocks.
“Currently there is very little of the carcass left and we will do another inspection later today, but we expect that only the bones and some of the unusable organs will be left.
“Both the Provincial Hospital and the Hermanus Day Clinic in Zwelihle were contacted about the situation and they will be monitoring any increase in potential associated cases,” he said.
AfriOceans founder Lesley Rochat said the possession of whale meat was illegal in South Africa.
She said the whale in question was decomposing and people consuming the flesh were at risk of food poisoning.
“In addition, because whales are high up on the food-chain, they are vulnerable to contaminants such as pesticides and PCBS (polychlorinated biphenyl) and heavy metals such as methylmercury.
“These chemicals, if consumed, can cause nerve damage, liver damage and reproductive disorders, to mention a few,” she said.
More on this story in the Cape Times on Friday.
Cape Times