April 1994 Issues Online June 2007 April 2007 February 2007 December 2006 October 2006 August 2006 June 2006 April 2006 February 2006 December 2005 October 2005 August 2005 June 2005 April 2005 February 2005 December 2004 October 2004 August 2004 June 2004 April 2004 February 2004 December 2003 October 2003 August 2003 June 2003 April 2003 February 2003 December 2002 October 2002 August 2002 June 2002 April 2002 February 2002 December 2001 October 2001 August 2001 June 2001 April 2001 February 2001 December 2000 October 2000 August 2000 June 2000 April 2000 February 2000 December 1999 October 1999 August 1999 June 1999 April 1999 February 1999 December 1998 October 1998 August 1998 June 1998 April 1998 February 1998 December 1997 October 1997 August 1997 June 1997 April 1997 February 1997 December 1996 October 1996 August 1996 June 1996 April 1996 February 1996 December 1995 October 1995 August 1995 June 1995 April 1995 February 1995 December 1994 October 1994 August 1994 June 1994 April 1994 February 1994 December 1993 October 1993 August 1993 Select any issue from the menu in this bar.

Fishing for Data

Some Bay Area anglers will be casting with a purpose other than recreation and dinner this May - fishing at 13 specific sites for samples to be used in a new scientific study of contaminant levels in Bay fish. They'll be looking for white croaker, surfperch, jacksmelt, shark, striped bass and sturgeon. Their catch will be delivered to Cal Fish & Game labs, where technicians will test muscle tissues for a wide range of toxics.

The study - organized by a coalition of environmental groups, public agencies and scientific organizations - was inspired by concerns about health risks to San Francisco's growing population of subsistence fisherpeople. If sampling from this $175,000 pilot project shows toxics are bioaccumulating in the fish at levels of concern, then a larger scale study and complete health risk assessment may be needed, according to the S.F. Regional Board's Karen Taberski. Taberski expects results from the pilot by November.

Anglers teaming up to collect the fish include Fish & Game officials and volunteers from San Francisco Anglers for Environmental Rights (SAFER). "This shows that community organizations and government can communicate, work together, and reap the benefits of unity without compromising on the issues," says SAFER's Kalon Wofford. "It's helping to broaden the community's trust in government, which at this point we don't have," he says.

Contact: Karen Taberski (510)286-1346

«To @@(newsletter_title)@@ Index

[ ABAG HOME | SFEP HOME ]

Copyright © 2002, San Francisco Estuary Project