SAN FRANCISCO BAY SEAFOOD CONSUMPTION STUDY AND FISH CONTAMINATION WORKSHOP

Elevated levels of contaminants in fish from the San Francisco Bay have raised concern for Bay anglers who consume these fish regularly. High levels of mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Bay fish led the state Office of Environmental Health hazard Assessment to issue a health advisory recommending that individuals limit their Bay fish consumption. (The health advisory issued by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment recommends that anglers consume no more than two meals of fish from San Francisco Bay per month* See attached brochure for other recommendations).

Between July 1998 and June 1999, interviews conducted over 150 fishing site visits and approached over 1,700 San Francisco anglers. The sites chosen for interviews included 14 public piers and adjacent beaches or banks, five public boat launches, and party boats from three marinas. A total of five languages (English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Cantonese and Mandarin) were spoken among the ten interviewers of the study. The survey included questions on ethnicity, income, education, age, amount of fish eaten, species of fish eaten, parts of fish eaten, preparation and cooking methods, others in the household who eat the catch, and awareness and knowledge of the state health advisory.

The results revealed that:

	One in ten fish-consuming Bay anglers eats over the advisory level. Among those eating over the advisory level, about two-thirds are eating twice the advisory level or more.
	Anglers’s likelihood of eating over the advisory limit varied with ethnicity, with Asians and African Americans more likely than other ethnic groups to eat above the limit. Differences in income, education, or fishing mode did noot markedly change anglers’ likelihood of eating over the advisory. African Americans and Filipinos reported higher overall consumption than Caucasians.
	The five most popular fishes eaten by anglers with recent Bay fish consumption were striped bass, halibut, jacksmelt, sturgeon, and white croaker, in that order.
	Many anglers reported that other household members ate some of the fish they caught from the San Francisco Bay. About 40% reported women of childbearing age eat some of the fish they catch. About 11% reported that children under the age of six eat the fish they catch, and 2% reported that pregnant or breastfeeding women eat a portion of their catch.

In conclusion, the vast majority of San Francisco Bay anglers are eating within the limit recommended by the state health advisory. Although fewer than one in ten anglers are eating above the advisory, these anglers remain cause for concern. Among ethnic groups, Asians and African- American anglers appear to be at greatest risk for chemical exposure. In January, the African American Community Health Advisory Committee co-sponsored a workshop to reinforce the issues associated with health concerns related to fish consumption from the San Francisco Bay.

Note that the advisory does not apply to salmon, anchovies, herring, and smelt. In this study these fish were excluded from the consumption values that were compared to the advisory.

Source: San Francisco Bay Seafood Consumption Study, March 2001

Click here to download the brochure (English, Spanish, Tongan) or the poster (English, Spanish, Tongan) as a PDF (230k) document.

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The African American Community Health Advisory Committee
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