State Issues Warning on 8 Varieties of Tainted Fish : Pollution: Species in some coastal areas carry high levels of toxic chemicals, officials say. They advise limiting consumption of most, and avoiding white croaker.

In their broadest warning to date on tainted fish, state officials on Monday urged individuals to limit their consumption of eight varieties caught along the Southern California coast because of high levels of toxic chemicals.

Levels of the banned pesticide DDT and the industrial chemical polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in some fish tissues are so high, the state said, that one variety--white croaker--should not be eaten at all. Others should be eaten no more than once or twice a month.

They are corbina, surfperch, queenfish, sculpin, rockfish, kelp bass and black croaker.

How much of these fish can be safely consumed depends on where along the coast they are caught, the state said.

The fish involved are all bottom-dwellers, caught mainly by sport fishermen and pier anglers. They are not popular commercial fish, and generally not found in restaurants.

The recommendations for limiting consumption were made whenever reseachers found that concentrations of either DDT or PCBs exceeded 100 parts per billion. For the past six years, state health warnings have been limited to one species--the white croaker, also known as tom cod or kingfish.

But after a four-year study of 15 species and 24 sites, including piers and fishing spots used by private and party boat anglers, the state broadened its warning for the first time to include consumption limits for seven additional species.

No health restrictions were placed on other fish studied, including bonito, California halibut, Pacific mackerel, California barracuda, Pacific sand dab, opaleye perch and Catalina blue perch.

“We want to assure the public that most fish are still safe for consumption,” said Cal/EPA Secretary James M. Strock. “But this study underscores the continuing consequences of heedless environmental practices in the past.”

During the 1960s and 1970s, several million pounds of DDT were dumped into the ocean by a now-defunct Torrance pesticide manufacturer. In addition, PCBs from various sources also pollute the ocean.

Used in making plastics and at one time as insulation in heavy-duty electrical equipment, PCBs are highly toxic and slow to decompose and accumulate in body tissues.

“We have made major strides toward eliminating this marine contamination,” Strock said, “but we must be mindful that some deleterious health risks remain as an unwelcome legacy.” he said.

Steven Book, acting director of Cal/EPA’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, urged anglers not to put all their fish in one basket.

“Eating a variety of different fish species from a variety of different locations is a healthful rule of thumb,” Book said in an interview. He also said that by trimming the fat and baking or broiling the fish on a rack, chemicals that accumulate in the fat will drip off.

“Anglers just need to be careful about eating specific fish caught in certain places,” said Book.

If individuals follow the consumption guide, the added risk of cancer from ingesting DDT from fish for a lifetime would be no more than 1 in 100,000, officials said. The added risk from ingesting fish with PCBs during a lifetime would be 1 in 10,000.

Environmentalists applauded the health advisory, but said it only confirmed what has been generally known. They called for strong steps to clean up pollution.

“We have all along known that fish in the bay are contaminated. We are finally relieved to see this kind of documentation of it,” said Robert Sulnic, executive director of the Santa Monica-based American Oceans Campaign. “The importance of this is to try and understand how to solve the problems. its not simply enough to say the fish are contaminated.”

The sites studied covered an area from Point Dume in northern Los Angeles County to Dana Point in southern Orange County.

Fishing areas found to pose no significant health problem included Marina Del Rey, Huntington Beach, Fourteen Mile Bank, Laguna Beach, Redondo Beach, Emma/Eve oil platforms, Catalina Twin Harbors, Santa Monica Pier, Venice Pier, Venice Beach and Dana Point.

Times staff writer Marla Cone in Orange County contributed to this story.

Fish Consumption Limits Urged

The California Environmental Protection Agency has urged limits on the consumption of eight varieties of fish caught off Southern California because of toxic chemical contamination. A four-year study found high levels of the banned pesticide DDT and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) accumulating in the fatty tissues of fish caught in various locations by sports fishers. Following are the locations, the types of fish and the consumption guidelines.

SITE FISH SPECIES RECOMMENDATION* Newport Pier Corbina One meal every two weeks Redondo Pier Corbina One meal every two weeks Belmont Pier Surfperch One meal every two weeks Pier J (Queen Mary) Surfperch One meal every two weeks Malibu Pier Queenfish One meal a month Short Bank White croaker One meal every two weeks Malibu White croaker Do not consume Point Dume White croaker Do not consume Point Vicente White croaker Do not consume Palos Verdes (Northwest) White croaker Do not consume White’s Point White croaker Do not consume Sculpin One meal every Rockfish two weeks** Kelp bass Los Angeles and White croaker Do not consume Long Beach Harbors (esp. Cabrillo Pier) Queenfish One meal every Black croaker two weeks** Surfperch Los Angeles and White croaker One meal a month** Long Beach Breakwater Queenfish (ocean side) Surfperch Black croaker Horseshoe Kelp Sculpin One meal a month** White croaker

NOTE: In the following locations, no restrictions are recommended: Marina del Rey; Huntington Beach; Fourteen Mile Bank; Laguna Beach; Redondo Beach; Emma / Eva oil platforms; Catalina (Twin Harbors); Santa Monica Pier; Venice Beach; Venice Pier; Dana Point.

* This category represents maximum recommended frequency; one meal is about six ounces.

** Consumption recommendation is for all the listed species combined.