A Reel Opportunity

Earlier in the week, Frankie Orrala and James Alamillo gave a staff presentation in our office on the progress of the Pier Angler Outreach Program coordinated by Heal the Bay, EPA and the Fish Contamination Education Collaborative (FCEC).  Frankie and James have run Heal the Bay’s program for eight years.  Their achievements, along with the efforts of the outreach workers, have been nothing short of astounding.

To date, the program has educated nearly 100,000 anglers at eight different piers: Santa Monica, Venice, Hermosa, Redondo, Pier J, Rainbow Harbor, Belmont and Seal Beach piers. (Cabrillo Marine Aquarium educates Cabrillo Pier anglers).  The risk communication efforts focus on the health risks of eating locally caught DDT-, PCB- and mercury-contaminated fish.  The outreach workers encourage anglers to avoid the most compromised fish, and they provide fishermen with cooking methods if they choose to eat any contaminated catch.

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