CHANGE MY LOCATION
Local
Multimedia News
Waters now safe, fishing to resume
SEE THE LATEST ON THIS STORY
Related Topics: SAN FRANCISCO
)
Tourists and locals alike can again enjoy San Francisco's fresh Dungeness crab and other local catches. The California Department of Fish and Game pronounced it safe and reopened local waters. Fishing can resume immediately.
Fish samples were measured for a carcinogenic contaminant known as PAH, state officials announced. Fish in waters unaffected by the spill were also tested for comparison.
Mussels fetched from Berkeley Pier and Rodeo Beach waters revealed contamination, but mussels are filter fish and thus retain contaminants, Fish and Game interim director John McCamman said.
The mussels are unsafe for consumption because eating PAH-contaminated mussels in 8-ounce servings every week for 30 years could cause cancer, officials said.
Other seafood such as Dungeness crab, Rock crab, Surf Perch, and herring are safe for human consumption, McCamman said.
All sampled areas, including the Berkeley Pier and Rodeo Beach, are open for fishing.
"We look forward to a clean bill of health and getting back on the water," McCamman said.
Officials from the state's Fish and Game, Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment and Department of Public Health conducted the expedited studies of the sea life to determine if closed waters would be reopened by the originally anticipated Dec. 1 date declared in a state executive order.
Schwarzenegger's order was put into effect Nov. 15, about one week after the spill, and closed San Francisco Bay as well as waters within three miles off the coast between San Pedro Point in San Mateo County and the Point Reyes Lighthouse in Marin County.
According to state officials, all seasons fishing seasons are reopened and remain subject to existing laws. However, fisherman are reminded that oil may wash back into certain areas over the coming months. If a fish
looks or smells like it is oiled, consumption is not wise, according to officials.
Fishermen are also reminded to avoid dragging their catch through reappearing patches of oil.
A full report of the fish and shell fish testing can be viewed at www.oehha.ca.gov.
— Bay City News
Comments from Examiner Readers
6:17 AM MST on Sat., Dec. 29, 2007 re: "Cosco Busan owners pay $80M to leave"
Report as inappropriate
6:12 AM MST on Sat., Dec. 29, 2007
re: "Tests show Bay water is clean"
Report as inappropriate
11:56 PM MST on Thu., Dec. 20, 2007
re: "Cosco Busan owners pay $80M to leave"
Report as inappropriate
1:23 PM MST on Thu., Dec. 20, 2007
re: "Group turns oil into food for ’shrooms"
Report as inappropriate
10:30 AM MST on Tue., Dec. 11, 2007
re: "Bay spill lawsuits pour in"
Report as inappropriate
1:50 PM MST on Tue., Dec. 4, 2007
re: "Supervisor slams response to oil spill"
Report as inappropriate
12:40 PM MST on Tue., Dec. 4, 2007
re: "Supervisor slams response to oil spill"
Report as inappropriate
12:00 PM MST on Tue., Dec. 4, 2007
re: "Supervisor slams response to oil spill"
Report as inappropriate
9:34 PM MST on Thu., Nov. 29, 2007
re: "Waters now safe, fishing to resume"
Report as inappropriate
9:32 AM MST on Thu., Nov. 29, 2007
re: "Bay Bridge bumper bits lost"
Report as inappropriate
11:34 AM MST on Mon., Nov. 26, 2007
re: "Birds death toll continues climb following oil spill"
Report as inappropriate
Examiner Reader said:
Examiner Reader said: The ship's destination was QINQDAO (Tsingtao), China, not Korea as reported above. 7 agree | 6 disagree Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree How does one disagree with a statement of provable fact?
153 agree | 143 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
"Additionally, state officials said that tests conducted by a California Department of Fish and Game biologist last week that found what seemed to be oil found in local herring fisheries were “inclusive,” according to Lt. Rob Roberts of the Department of Fish and Game’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response." Perhaps "inconclusive" was intended
130 agree | 107 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
The ship's destination was QINQDAO (Tsingtao), China, not Korea as reported above.
162 agree | 166 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
The Coast Guard did not turn away the Fire Department boat that came to investigate. That is false. The Coast Guard did, inform them of the 100 yard safey zoen around the Cosco Busan after the incident occurred. The statement implies that the Coast Guard is covering up this incident, which is ridiculous.
197 agree | 151 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Hey, SFoff, I live in SF and yes my county did fail miserably in their response. I just wonder if Dennis Herrera is really going to believe that he will get 25K for each day of the spill from Captain Cota.
141 agree | 145 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
SFoff said:
Dear Examiner reader (first grade level, apparently)12:40pm. There was no mention of S.F. being the only county affected by the spill. The article was from a San Francisco Newspaper, regarding San Francisco's response to the oil spill. Not very obscure. It's all clear in context. Nobody was wondering why SF. "was not kept in the loop". He is questioning why S.F. did not enter the loop of it's own accord, considering how much "training and partnership" had been established. Are we supposed to be happy with our particular cities response because your county also failed miserably to do anything in time to prevent this problem? And BTW, S.F. is not the center of the Universe, just the Solar System, but thanks for the exaggeration!
161 agree | 172 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
... and San Francisco was the only city, the only county affected by this spill. It seems that SF is to self-centered in this incident, wondering why it was not kept in teh loop. It seems that many other cities and counties were affected by this incident. way to go SF. Show you true colors. If ross Mirkirami wants to be mayor in 2012 then he should just come out and proclaim that San Francisco is in fact, the center of the universe. Then he will get my vote
164 agree | 150 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Seems strange that we would be knocking ourselves up for something we had little control over and had misleading info about. One would think you can rely on the Coast Guard to provide accurate info, since this IS their jurisdiction, but to get the info wrong hours later and even when others are pointing out that it's a LARGE spill (and to ignore this emergency) seems unconscionable. This, to me, should be about the ship crashing into the bridge tower and the bungled response of the Coast Guard, their effect on the greater Bay Area and effective preventive measures.
163 agree | 146 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Its my understanding two-thirds of the 58,000 gallons of oil is unaccounted for and will remain so. The water quality of San Francisco Bay was questionable before this event. Some sort of blanket statement regarding the "safeness" of the bay water seems a bit dubious to me.
322 agree | 171 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Having said that black made it harder to find the missing pieces of plastic lumber, they're going to use black again for the replacement?!! Foolish.
396 agree | 141 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Very self indulgent of you to equate an oil spill dead birds and your situation. Get over it already.
250 agree | 190 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree