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State officials have opened San Francisco Bay
to almost all fishing on Thursday afternoon, after crabs and fish were found to
be safe.
Fishing and crabbing in the area was closed on November 13, a
few days after a container ship hit the base of a Bay Bridge
tower on November 7. The crash caused 58,000 gallons of the ships’ bunker oil
to spill into the water.
More than 1,100 samples of fish, mussels and Dungeness crab
in San Francisco Bay
and Coastal waters outside the Golden Gate
were tested by the state biologists.
Following the tests, officials said that the spill is no
longer causing most seafood to be unhealthy to eat.
"Following the diligent work done by the Department of
Fish and Game, the Office of Environmental Health and Hazard Assessment and
Department of Public Health to respond to the spill, I'm pleased to report that
fishing in the San Francisco
Bay will resume today. The
test results our scientists have analyzed demonstrate that there is a clean
bill of health for the fish, and that they are safe to eat," Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger said Thursday, according to the NBC 11.com.
The tests were done on species including Dungeness and Rock
crab, herring, shiner, black surfperch and mussels. The animals were collected
by the Department of Fish and Game in an area that could have been damaged by
the spill along all San Francisco Bay plus a 3-mile-wide section of the coast between
the Point Reyes Lighthouse in Marin County and San Pedro Point in San Mateo County.
Officials also say there is still a risk that some wildlife
may become contaminated, in spite of the announcement. Anglers are advised to
avoid fishing in areas that may be polluted with the fuel. People are
recommended not to eat the fish if they have an oily feel or taste.
Find more information and results of the tests on www.oehha.ca.gov.
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