Concerns are being raised as anglers are growingly reporting catching milk-coloured snapper.
The non-profit organisation LegaSea has posted on its Facebook about the concerns, saying it has received multiple "enquiries about the safety of eating or touching milky flesh finfish and snapper caught in waters off the northeast coast of the North Island".
Now, Fisheries New Zealand has responded to the concerns.
"The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has tested samples of the milky-flesh fish and has not found any evidence of food safety risk, nor have they received any reports of associated illness," a spokesperson for Fisheries New Zealand told Newshub in a statement.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) will conduct further testing and if any food safety issues arise, it will inform and take appropriate action to protect the public, the spokesperson added.
Testing carried out by MPI so far has also established no link with any diseases or parasites but they will continue to be tested as a precaution.
"The latest information on the milky snapper suggests that the issue seems to be prevalent in the Hauraki Gulf/East Northland areas," the spokesperson said.
LegaSea, meanwhile, urged anglers to "keep an eye out" for the milky flesh fish.
"It's important for all of us to know what the cause is and how it will be addressed," its Facebook post said.
MPI also said in a statement it's "reviewing the information available to see if the factors that may be causing this effect can be identified, including whether changes to food sources, climate effects and environmental and ecosystem conditions may be playing a part".
