Eat Safe Seafood

Finish your fishing season 🎣 off right by knowing which seafood you catch or collect from San Francisco Bay are safe to eat and how to best prepare them.

Fishing Facts 🐳

🚻 Different ages and sexes should eat different species and portions of fish to avoid harmful levels of toxins that can build up in them.

🦈 Larger and older fish bioaccumulate (build up) more chemicals and can be dangerous to eat compared to younger, smaller fish.

📝 Signs posted throughout San Mateo County fishing areas, digital and paper flyers help you choose safe fish when casting your line.

⛺ Free demonstrations and lessons are available to the public! If you have a group (outdoor club, scout troop, medical professional team, etc.) you’d like to educate about the Fish Smart Program or event you’d like us to table at, contact the Fish Smart Program Coordinator Emilie Dirck for a free in-person or virtual presentation.

For more information about the Fish Smart Program, visit smchealth.org/fishsmart or contact Emilie Dirck at edirck@smcgov.org or (650) 464-7079.

Sport-harvested Shellfish more to your liking?

🐚 There are naturally occurring toxins that build up in shellfish and can cause domoic acid poisoning or paralytic shellfish poisoning.

✅ Only collect and eat shellfish during  safer collection times from Nov 1 – April 30. The annual quarantine period is from May 1 – Oct 31.

👀 Keep your eyes out for signs at popular collection sites that indicate a shellfish quarantine is in effect.

🛑 DO NOT collect or consume shellfish along the California coast during a quarantine. 

📞 Always call the biotoxin hotline at 1-800-553-4133 before consuming shellfish you collect as a quarantine can happen during safer collection times too.

🍽 Commercial shellfish available at restaurants and eateries are not subject to the quarantine. Commercial shellfish harvesters in California grow their shellfish in hatcheries and submit frequent shellfish samples to the California Department of Public Health for toxin testing.

Interested in more information about shellfish safety? Check out our website smchealth.org/shellfish or contact pollutionprevention@smcgov.org.

Fishing Smart in the Bay Area

With the fishing season upon us, are you catching and eating the safest fish for your family? San Mateo County Environmental Health Services has a dedicated Fish Smart Program to help fishers prepare and eat fish safely from the ocean and the bay. You may have seen our signs at your favorite fishing spots which promote eating certain fish, but why?

The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) creates regional and state guides on safe-to-eat fish based on two toxins found in ocean and bay fish: polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and mercury. Consuming fish with higher levels of these toxins can cause cancer (Mercury) and damage growing brains (PCBs). These toxins can also accumulate in the body of mothers and can be passed on to their children if eaten during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. Not all fish are created equal –  some fish have these high toxin levels and some fish are healthy to eat. Fish containing omega-3s can reduce your risk for heart disease and improve brain development in unborn babies and children. Fish are an excellent source of protein while being low in saturated fats. 

Why do some fish have higher levels of these toxins than others? There are many factors that contribute to the accumulation of toxins in fish. Where a fish swims, its age, diet, and size all determine how many chemicals may be in its body. In general, fish who eat other fish (biomagnification) and are larger and older (bioaccumulation) will have more chemicals in their bodies. Both bioaccumulation and biomagnification occur in fish caught in the ocean and bay regions of San Mateo County.

To stay safe this fishing season, visit our Fish Smart website to find both bay and coast fish eating guides (in the language of your choice), or refer to our signs at your local fishing spot or pier. Not seeing a sign at your favorite spot? Have questions about the Fish Smart Program? Contact Fish Smart’s Program Coordinator Emilie Dirck at edirck@smcgov.org or (650) 464-7079. Curious about shellfish safety? We have resources for safe shellfish collection, too! Visit our website or call the biotoxin hotline (1-800-553-4133) to ensure you are consuming safe shellfish at home.  Happy Fishing!

Be Fish Smart in San Francisco Bay

We are so lucky to be able to catch and eat fresh seafood from the San Francisco Bay, but does it always make a healthy dinner?

Be Fish Smart in San Francisco Bay!

We are so lucky to be able to catch and eat fresh fish and shellfish from the San Francisco Bay, but does it make a healthy dinner? Who you are and the type of fish you catch in the Bay can be the difference between a meal packed with protein and heart healthy omega 3s or exposure to potential toxins.

Some fish from the Bay contain toxins such as mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) that can harm your health and are not safe to eat. Women and children are especially vulnerable to these health risks. PCBs likely cause cancer and mercury can change how the brains of babies and children develop.