Southern California Lifts Fishery Closures

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA一 The California Department of Fish and Wildlife lifted the closure on Southern California fisheries on Nov. 30.

Fisheries were reopened after a notification from the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) was sent to the CDFW informing them that there was no further risk to public health from consuming fish or shellfish from the affected area.

The closure prohibited the take of fish and shellfish from Huntington Beach and Dana Point, including shorelines, offshore areas, and bays.

The closure was prompted by the Oct. 2 Southern California oil spill and was signed on Oct. 3 after the OEHHA determined there was a threat to public health from consuming fish in the area.

On Oct. 5 and 7, the original closure area was expanded to include 650 square miles of marine waters and 45 miles of shoreline, including all bays and harbors from Seal Beach to San Onofre State Beach.

The OEHHA sampled catches in the area from Oct. 14 to Nov. 3 to evaluate levels of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are found in oil and can accumulate in fish and other marine life that, if consumed, can cause an increased risk of cancer and other health conditions.

The final reports and data summaries will be made available to the public at https://oehha.ca.gov/.