Australian Maritime Safety Authority - AMSA is warning members of the public of the potential dangers posed by toxic canisters that have been reported washing up on Australian beaches.

Since February 2012, emergency services have received reports from the public of small unlabelled canisters washing up along the coast in the Torres Strait, Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania.

In the last few months reports have been received of canisters washing up in the Western Cape York region and in Yeppoon in Central Queensland.
The canisters contain a rat poison known as aluminium phosphide, a white to grey solid which is hazardous to humans.