Whitebaiters are continuing to fish polluted waters in Christchurch's Heathcote River despite warnings not to.
The river has been found to be four times over the safe limit for recreational use and whitebait caught there are contaminated.
The Canterbury District Health Board found dangerously high levels of E.coli in samples of whitebait. Giardia, hepatitis A and salmonella are also present, raising the risk of liver and kidney failure if the fish are eaten.
The medical officer of health, Alistair Humphrey, says the Heathcote and Avon rivers have always had problems with contamination and the earthquakes have made it worse.
Dr Humphrey says while sewage is no longer being pumped directly into the rivers, repair work on sewerage pipes is continuing to contaminate them.
He says duck and dog faeces and runoff from rainwater also make the rivers unsafe for whitebaiting.
