Seafood lovers have been assured that it is now safe to consume oysters from the Walvis Bay and Swakopmund areas. This follows a warning from the Fisheries and Marine Resource Ministry last week for people NOT to harvest or consume oysters from the two coastal areas. Permanent Secretary Moses Maurihungirire said the oysters had tested positive for Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning -DSP. DSP is a symptom which causes intense diarrhea and severe abdominal pains and vomiting. Maurihungirire said the ministry was concerned with the positive testing of the oysters and had sent samples for re-testing. He said the re-testing, carried out by the Namibian Standards Institution, NSI, and guided by the National Shellfish Sanitation Programme, proved negative. That means people can continue harvesting or consume the products. Maurihungirire confirmed that mussels from the beach areas of both Swakopmund and Walvis Bay may be consumed, However, he warned that those mussels from the Walvis Bay Mariculture Production area-One, are still DSP positive and the area remains closed for commercial harvesting of mussels.