597 



Abstract. -Contaminated fish in 

 Santa Monica Bay, California, have 

 raised concerns about health risks from 

 local seafood consumption. In prepara- 

 tion for a new health risk analysis, a 

 field study was undertaken to deter- 

 mine local angler consumption rates, 

 consumption characteristics, and an- 

 gler catch. During 1991-92, biologists 

 interviewed 1,244 anglers on piers, 

 party boats, private boats, and beaches; 

 555 provided consumption-rate esti- 

 mates. In contrast to previous studies, 

 non-English as well as English speak- 

 ing anglers were interviewed. The me- 

 dian seafood consumption rate of 21 

 g/day for local anglers was less than the 

 national average. Consumption-rate 

 distributions were highly skewed, up- 

 per-decile consumption rates being sev- 

 eral times higher than median rates. 

 Upper-decile consumption rates were 

 more useful than median rates in de- 

 lineating demographic and species-spe- 

 cific differences in consumption rates. 

 Angler consumption rates of potentially 

 contaminated species and angler 

 awareness of health risks varied by eth- 

 nic group; therefore communication of 

 health risks should target habits and 

 languages of high-risk anglers. 



Demographic variability in seafood 

 consumption rates among recreational 

 anglers of Santa Monica Bay, 

 California, in 1991-1992 



M. James Allen 



Southern California Coastal Water Research Project 

 717 1 Fenwick Lane, Westminster, California 92683 

 e-mail address. jima®sccwrp. org 



Patricia V. Velez 



Santa Monica Bay Restoration Project 

 101 Centre Plaza Drive, Monterey Park, California 91754 

 Present address: California Department of Fish and Game 

 20 Lower Ragsdale Drive, Suite 1 00 

 Monterey, California 93940 



Dario W. Diehl 



Southern California Coastal Water Research Project 

 7171 Fenwick Lane, Westminster, California 92683 



Sarah E. McFadden 



MBC Applied Environmental Sciences 



3040 Redhill Avenue, Costa Mesa. California 92626-4524 



Michael Kelsh 



EcoAnalysis, Inc , Arcade Plaza, Suite A 



221 E. Matilya Street, Ojai, California 93023 



Manuscript accepted 18 April 1996. 

 Fishery Bulletin 94:597-610 ( 1996). 



State and Federal regulatory agen- 

 cies currently use seafood consump- 

 tion rates in evaluations of health 

 risks from contaminated seafood 

 organisms ( Murray and Burmaster, 

 1994). The United States Environ- 

 mental Protection Agency (USEPA) 

 estimates that United States recre- 

 ational anglers consume a median 

 of 30 g/day offish and shellfish from 

 national waters (USEPA, 1990). 

 Regional medians range from 26 to 

 37 g/day (Puffer et al., 1981, 1982; 

 Landolt et al., 1985, 1987; Hum- 

 phrey, 1988; Murray and Bur- 

 master, 1994; SDCDHS 1 ). However, 

 extrapolation of national or nonlocal 



rates to local angling populations 

 can underestimate health risks 

 (Humphrey, 1988). Consumption 

 rates may vary between studies be- 

 cause angler populations differ de- 

 mographically and in species pref- 

 erence or because rate-determina- 

 tion methods differ. In this study we 

 examine the influence of variabil- 

 ity in angler demography, species 

 preference, and rate-determination 



1 SDCDHS (San Diego County Department 

 of Health Services). 1990. San Diego 

 Bay health risk study. Report prepared for 

 Port of San Diego, San Diego, CA. San 

 Diego County, Dep. Health Serv, San Di- 

 ego, CA, 322 p. 



