While sport fishing is allowed throughout the Bay, commercial fishing has been prohibited (east of a line between Malibu Point and Palos Verdes Point) to protect local fish populations, which could be depleted by a combination of both commercial and sport fishing. A few commercial bait boats are allowed, under experimental gear permits, to fish for live bait throughout the Bay.

Commercial fishing in the rest of the Bay involves gill-netting for California halibut west of Malibu and south of Palos Verdes Point. Commercial catches from Santa Monica Bay are negligible.

Although statistics are not available for Santa Monica Bay alone, 5.5 million sport fishing trips were made in Southern California in 1989. In 1991-1992, the Bay's sport fishery was dominated by chub mackerel, barred sand bass, and kelp bass. California spiny lobster is an important invertebrate also frequently caught.

The sport fishery catch has some economic value as food, but fees paid to charter operators and other onshore expenditures have a much greater impact on the local economy. Expenditures on saltwater fishing in Southern California totaled $536.3 million in 1989 -- 16 percent spent on licenses and gear, 23 percent on boat-related expenses, and 61 percent on trip-related expenses. Los Angeles County residents accounted for 37 percent of that total. About 465,000 of the 6.1 million households in Southern California coastal counties included at least one member who went sport fishing in 1989.

Recreational fishing facilities bordering the Bay area include piers at Malibu, Santa Monica, Venice, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach and a fishing barge off Redondo Beach. There are small craft harbors at Marina del Rey and at King Harbor in Redondo Beach. Fourteen artificial reefs designed to enhance marine life and improve sport fishing opportunities have been installed offshore (at Malibu, Paradise Cove, Santa Monica, Marina del Rey, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach) since 1958 and nine of these remain. Commercial passenger fishing vessels (party boats) depart from Marina del Rey, Redondo Beach and Malibu.

Seafood Consumption: Potential Human Health Impacts

Because of the presence of these chemicals in fish from the Palos Verdes Shelf and northern Santa Monica Bay, the state Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) conducted a comprehensive seafood contamination study and risk assessment in 1991. OEHHA measured levels of several contaminants (including PCBs and DDTs) in fishes from the Bay and assessed the potential health hazards of consuming various fish species.

The OEHHA report was supplemented by a SMBRP study of local seafood contamination released in 1992. This survey examined the extent of contamination in yellow rock crab and white croaker at several Bay locations.

White croaker is generally considered to be the most contaminated fish in the Bay, especially those from areas such as the Palos Verdes Shelf. Other species found to be relatively contaminated at certain locations are California corbina, queenfish, surfperches and California scorpionfish. Contaminant concentrations in Pacific bonito, chub mackerel, Pacific sanddab, Pacific barracuda, opaleye, halfmoon and California halibut are generally very low.

In general, metal levels in edible tissue of fishes and invertebrates from near the two major sewage treatment plant outfalls in the last ten years have not been substantially higher than at reference (clean) sites elsewhere in Southern California. Although sediments near the outfalls often contain high metal concentrations, there does not appear to be an appreciable health risk from metals contamination because metals do not bioaccumulate or biomagnify in fish.

The Santa Monica Bay Restoration Project has completed a study that breaks down seafood consumption rates and patterns of Bay anglers by ethnic group, fishing site, and fish species. This information is being used to calculate the potential health risks specific to consumption of Santa Monica Bay seafood, and to develop warnings and educational materials that are targeted to particular user groups.

Protecting the Public From Potential Health Risk

The SMBRP's overriding goal is to protect and inform the public about potential health risks associated with fishing and swimming in the Bay. Identifying and eliminating the pollutant sources that affect these activities is the first step toward achieving public health protection. However, reducing risks also means providing the public with information about the extent of potential health hazards, so that all potential consumers and users are well-informed enough to make choices.