Heal the Bay | Eating Fish from the Bay

Precautions for Eating Local Fish

White Croaker: Distinctive Features. Image: Fish Contamination Education Collaborative

White Croaker: Distinctive Features. Images: Fish Contamination Education Collaborative

Avoid White Croaker
White Croaker (also called kingfish or tomcod) generally contains higher levels DDT and PCB than other fish from the Santa Monica Bay area. This is primarily because the white croaker is a non-migratory fish that feeds off the ocean floor where these chemicals have settled. In fact, a 1997 Heal the Bay study on the White Croaker found that an astounding 84% of the samples tested exceeded EPA’s “acceptable cancer risk level” for DDT.

Recommendations

Do not eat white croaker and other non-migratory bottom-dwelling fish caught in the Santa Monica Bay or surrounding coastal waters (halibut is safe to eat since it migrates).
When fishing, do not keep any white croaker that are caught from the Bay or surrounding coastal waters.
When shopping for fish, be aware that white croaker with high levels of contaminants have been found in local Los Angeles markets. Thus, do not buy any fish labeled croaker, kingfish or tomcod unless you know that it has been caught outside of L.A and Orange counties. Ask where the fish comes from and be sure that your market obtains their fish from approved sources only.
Contact your Health Department for more information:
- Los Angeles County: 213-240-7785
- Orange County: 714-667-3600
- City of Long Beach: 562-570-4199

Map of fish contamination zones in Santa Monica Bay and north Orange County

Fish contamination zones in Santa Monica Bay and north Orange County. Image: Fish Contamination Education Collaborative

Avoid fishing in contaminated areas
Several areas exist along the coast of Los Angeles and Orange Counties where fish are likely to contain higher levels of DDTs and PCBs than those fish caught outside of these areas. These contaminated areas are indicated in red on the Fish Contamination Zones map and include Cabrillo Pier, White Point, Pier J, Belmont Pier and Point Vicente. The highest levels of DDTs and PCBs in ocean sediment are found about one to three miles off shore of the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

Recommendations

Fish only in areas that lie outside of the contamination zones. These areas are indicated in yellow on Fish Contamination Zones map and include the piers in Santa Monica, Redondo Beach, and Huntington Beach.

Recommendations for consuming fish caught in the Santa Monica Bay. Image: Fish Contamination Education Collaborative

Follow the consumption recommendations
Sampling and testing have shown that fish caught from the contaminated red zone areas have much higher levels of DDTs and PCBs than those from the yellow zones. In general, following the consumption recommendations for the different zones can help reduce your exposure to the chemicals in fish.

Recommendations

Follow the Fish Consumption Recommendations, which shows how much of each fish caught from the different zones in the Bay one can safely eat.
Since chemicals can pose greater health risks to babies and young children, it is particularly important for women of childbearing age, pregnant women, and nursing mothers to follow the fish consumption recommendations.

Fish preparation and cooking to reduce contaminants. Image: Fish Contamination Education Collaborative

Prepare and cook fish to reduce your exposure to contaminants
Simply cooking fish will not completely remove the accumulated DDTs and PCBs. However, since these chemicals build up in the fatty tissues, the following the recommedations can reduce the amount of these chemical in prepared fish.

Recommendations

When cleaning the fish remove and throw away the head, guts, kidneys, and liver and cut away the fat, skin, and belly BEFORE cooking.
Eat only the fillet, the muscle of the fish, even when making soups, stews, chowders or gumbos.
Bake, broil. steam or grill fish on a rack and allow the fat to drain.
Throw away the fat drippings. Don’t use them in other cooking.

Important note about Mercury

Mercury is found in all parts of fish, including the fillet, so the above preparation and cooking methods do not decrease the mercury levels that may be present. To reduce exposure, follow the recommended limits on fish consumption. Also, see our Safe Seafood Guide for more information on mercury contamination in fish and additional ways to limit your exposure.

A Pier Outreach Program member informs anglers about contaminated seafood. Photo: Heal the Bay

An Angler Outreach Program member educates about contaminated seafood. Photo: Heal the Bay

Learn more and help inform others!
The more you know about eating fish caught in the Santa Monica Bay, the more you can reduce your exposure to chemical contaminants and reduce your overall health risks. Plus, you can help spread to word to keep others safe and healthy too!

Recommendations

Visit the Fish Contamination Education Collaborative for a ton of useful information.
Heal the Bay runs a Angler Outreach Program to inform local fishers about the dangers of eating contaminated seafood. Please contact us if you are interested in helping out with this important program.