Fishing on the Seal Beach Pier ….you may get lucky…and not catch any fish ?

A recent report (June  18) from  the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment has declared all the “coastal’ waters between the Santa Monica Pier and the Seal Beach Pier, a “red” zone; but the coastal waters from Santa Monica to Ventura and from San Clemente to Seal Beach are considered “yellow” areas.

What’s the difference between yellow and red zones?  The simple explanation is that in the yellow zones you can eat certain fishes twice a week and not be overly concerned about the effect it will have on your health, especially if you are pregnant or nursing, or if you are a child.  In the red zones most probably shouldn’t eat any of those fish. 

The main reason for the contamination of the fish would appear to be an area off the coast of Palos Verdes peninsula that is contaminated with thousands of tons of chemicals that were carried there by the sewers from various Los Angeles County communities for many years. There were significant amounts of PCB’s and DDT include in those pipes. Right now the federal government is working on making it a “super site”  clean-up area and the best suggestion on the table (at this time) is to cover it up with other cleaner sediment and then gradually clean it over the next several decades.  Needless to say many environmental groups disagree with that scenario.

The fish that should be avoided are many.  White croaker leads the list also shovelnose guitar fish, sardines, yellow fin croaker and sardines.  Women younger than 45; women pregnant or nursing, and children younger than 17  should not eat topsmelt, barred sand bass, and barracuda that are caught in the red zone.  All of the above should limit how much California halibut, California scorpionshish, most rockfishes and kelp bass  and local sardines to one serving a week.

For a complete list of fishes and suggested restrictions go to: http://search.ca.gov/search?q=fish+near+seal+beach+pier&output=xml_no_dtd&site=ca_oehha&client=ca_oehha&proxystylesheet=ca_oehha

 Why should fish be eaten if they might contain chemical contaminants? Fish are a nutritious source of protein and heart-healthy “omega-3” fatty acids.  That is why the American Heart Association recommends that healthy adults eat at least two 

3-ounce cooked servings of fish each week.  Eating fish may also prevent other diseases and improve how the brain develops in the fetus and children.  To benefit most from fish consumption and avoid health risks from contaminated fish, it is important to eat fish that are low in contaminants and high in the unique “omega-3” fatty acids found in fish.  

 Exposure to high levels of DDTs in the workplace or in accidental poisonings has been shown to affect the nervous system.  Studies in animals confirm these effects.  Like methylmercury and PCBs, lower levels of DDTs may affect the development of the nervous system in the fetus or children. DDTs may also affect reproduction. PCBs and DDTs have also been found to cause cancer in some animal studies.  As a result, the

state of California and the United States Environmental Protection Agency say that PCBs and DDTs probably can cause cancer in humans.   

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