Tissue samples are taken from five core indicator species (striped bass, white sturgeon, shiner surfperch, white croaker, and jacksmelt) selected as most popular for consumption.

The 2019 survey was the eighth iteration since 1997, with surveys currently occurring on a five-year cycle. These chemicals, used in stainproofing, waterproofing, and many other applications, are a new cause for concern. Then there are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which the RMP only began monitoring in 2009 and for which no human consumption advisory levels have been established in California.

But no downward trend was found for mercury. A new Regional Monitoring Program (RMP) report on its 2019 sport fish survey contains some positive news: an overall decline in polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), hopeful trends in polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs ) and dioxin, and continued low selenium levels. After decades of efforts to clean up San Francisco Bay, its fish still carry a toxic load that makes them unfit for human consumption.

Fishing planet striped bass california