Get Hands on with FCEC’s Free Fishing Sessions
Posted by FCEC | May 14, 2013

Last month, our Angler Outreach Team conducted their first fishing session. Fishing sessions are a new and interactive way for FCEC to provide outreach to local anglers on how to target safe fish to eat. By bringing the information to the piers and providing a hands-on learning experience, the Angler Outreach Team can directly make an impact on anglers’ behaviors.

“Fishing sessions are a really cool type of outreach. It’s different, and they [anglers] like learning about what type of fish they catch in this area,” reported an Angler Outreach Team member from Heal the Bay.

When fish are caught during the fishing sessions, they are placed into a glass tank for anglers and kids to see. The tank provides an up-close and personal way to help anglers properly identify fish species. Many children have enjoyed “touching the live fish during the fish identification,” portion of the session, and anglers have expressed that they “like having someone out on the pier showing them how to target different fish species that are healthy to eat,”  says an Angler Outreach Team member from Cabrillo Marine Aquarium.

The sessions provide both a fun and educational experience for all. Fishing sessions are fit for first time anglers, families and experienced anglers looking to refresh their fishing knowledge. Come join us at the next fishing session with our Angler Outreach Team to learn more about fishing and how to catch the safe fish to eat!

Stay tuned to our Facebook page and event calendar for upcoming fishing sessions. And while you’re waiting for the next fishing session to arrive, check out some of these actions shots from our latest fishing sessions:

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Spring into Fishing This Month: May Events
Posted by FCEC | May 1, 2013

MAY the fishing season commence! We are looking forward to a great season of fishing, and this month we have found some fun events to get you and your family excited about the fishing season too! From fish-tivals to fishing sessions there are plenty of events to keep you busy this month.

>> On May 4 and May 25 join the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium for a FREE fishing session! Learn how to catch healthy fish, how to identify fish and properly throw back local contaminated fish, such as white croaker.

>> Explore and celebrate the Southern California Coast at the Aquarium of the Pacific’s annual Urban Ocean Festival May 4 -5. There will be a fashion show, educational booths, contests and more!

>> Ready for some fishy fun? Cabrillo Marine Aquarium is hosting a Special Grunion Fish-tival May 11 to learn and celebrate Southern California’s very own Grunion fish!

>> Did you know there’s an Endangered Species Day? Learn about the marine life that are endangered on May 18 and have some fun with a beach walk, scavenger hunt, story time and more!

>> Gear up to clean up! Heal the Bay is coordinating their monthly Nothin’ But Sand Beach Cleanup for all of you to get your hands a little dirty and help clean up a local beach. May 18 join Heal the Bay and your community to do some good work for our beaches.

Check out our FCEC calendar for more information about these events and more. Are you attending any events this month? Let us know!

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Marina Del Rey Anglers Training with FCEC
Posted by FCEC | April 25, 2013

FCEC has been working hard to increase public outreach and education for anglers who are vulnerable to consuming contaminated fish species from the Palos Verdes Shelf Superfund Site: white croaker, black croaker, topsmelt, barred sand bass and barracuda. FCEC coordinated a recent training session with our outreach partners, the Marina Del Rey Anglers. Over the course of the meeting, members of the Marina Del Rey Anglers learned how to conduct a 2-minute survey to anglers who have and have-not received outreach from FCEC. The purpose of these short surveys is to provide FCEC support in better measuring the effectiveness of outreach on awareness of Do Not Consume (DNC) fish and intentions with DNC fish. Additionally, anglers who had received outreach in the past were asked to sign a commitment letter to only eat healthy fish.

 

Check out some of the photos from the meeting here:

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It’s All About The Earth & Fishing This Month: April Events
Posted by FCEC | April 1, 2013

Did you know that it’s Earth Month? Here at FCEC we are excited about the many events to celebrate the Earth and of course fishing. Check out what cool events are going on this April, and join us for some celebration this month!

>> On April 6 join the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium for its monthly Native Garden Workday and Beach Cleanup to help clean up the coast of litter and marine debris.

>> Celebrate the Earth with the Aquarium of the Pacific April 13-14 as they host their annual Earth Day Celebration. Visit booths from various Earth-friendly organizations (including us!), get your hands on some fun crafts and enjoy many festivities at this family friendly event.

>> Have you been fishing with Uncle Larry? This is a FREE fishing event you don’t want to miss! On April 13 Cabrillo Marine Aquarium’s Uncle Larry will be fishing on the Cabrillo pier. He will help you rig tackle, work on your fishing techniques, review fishing etiquette and more! Make sure to bring your fishing gear and head out to the Cabrillo Pier.

>> On Earth Day, April 20, take part in Cabrillo Marine Aquarium’s Earth Day. Learn about our coastal environment and participate in fun contests and games! FCEC will be at this event too, so don’t be shy and come play our fishing game to see if you can identify what fish you catch!

>> Are your kids interested in learning more about fishing? The Daniel Hernandez Youth Foundation is providing kids 10-14 a memorable and safe day of learning and fishing on April 20. This is a great way to get your child hooked on fishing!

>> More about the Earth! April 20-21 Heal the Bay will be at the Santa Monica Pier for an Earth Day Festival that will be filled with fun activities for all ages!

>> Calling all boaters! Become a “dockwalker” to educate fellow boaters about clean and safe boating practices to improve your boating experience, our wildlife habitat and water quality at a volunteer workshop on April 27.

More information about these events and others are on our FCEC calendar. What events will you be attending this month? Share with us below!

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Sustainable Seafood at the Best of the West Chowderfest
Posted by FCEC | March 18, 2013

Seafood for the Future, a non-profit seafood advisory and promotion program, hosted a “Best of the West Chowderfest” on Saturday, March 9 at the Aquarium of the Pacific to celebrate one of the things we all love here at FCEC – sustainable seafood. The event featured local chefs preparing one-of-a-kind seafood chowders made from locally caught or sustainably raised seafood. During the event, FCEC asked Primal Alchemy’s Chef Paul Buchanan why events that highlight sustainable seafood are important to the community:

“Events like these bring awareness to what the local seafood situation is out there… and will prompt consumers to ask where their fish are coming from.”

Participants of the event, like Philip Isenberg who believes that “it’s important to protect fish so that we always have them,” had the opportunity to sample many unique varieties of seafood chowders prepared by knowledgeable chefs and was then able to vote for what he considered to be the “Best of the West Chowder.”

Below is a list of the best of the west chowder contenders and their sustainable seafood choices

To find out who won the Best of the West Chowderfest, view our photo slideshow below!

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Getting Geared Up for March Events
Posted by FCEC | February 28, 2013

How are you gearing up for some spring time fun? We have listed some of our favorite upcoming events this month to help you swing into Spring the right way. From dancing under the sea stars to an incredible ocean adventure and a sustainable seafood festival, there’s plenty of action to keep you moving this month.

>> Start the month off with a night under the sea stars on March 1! Join the Aquarium of the Pacific for their annual Noche de Estrellas for live Latin music, dancing, dinner, underwater dive shows and more.

>> It’s celebration time! March 1-3 the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium celebrates its 10 year anniversary. The celebration is happening all weekend long, so be sure to be a part of the fun with Heal the Bay, Aquarium staff and volunteers for this exciting benchmark. There’ll even be birthday cake and ice cream for those of you with a sweet tooth!

>> Learn about the ocean’s most feared predator in a three part series of lectures from an underwater cinematographer on March 5, 7 & 13. There will also be a shark exhibit titled “Sharks: The Beauty of the Ocean Predator” through May for you to enjoy at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

>> Want to go on a journey of a lifetime? Cabrillo Marine Aquarium has just the trip for you. March 7 – 15, go on a nine-day ocean voyage filled with the friendly whales of Baja, offshore island hikes and more!

>> Love Chowdah? Seafood for the Future is hosting a Best of the West Chowderfest March 9 to celebrate sustainable seafood and enjoy one-of-a-kind chowders cooked with local California seafood. FCEC will be attending this event, so don’t miss out on this one!

>> Aquarium of the Pacific celebrates divers on March 23 at their 12th annual Divers Day. Take a look at live dive demonstrations, meet local organizations related to the sport and science of diving, and learn how to get involved with dive related organizations and volunteer opportunities to protect the ocean and marine life we all love.

More information about these events and others are on our FCEC calendar.

Where will you be this month? Share with us below!

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EPA Consumption Study Has Come to a Close!
Posted by FCEC | February 18, 2013

Anglers can finally catch a break! At least from all the questions the EPA Consumption Study team has been grilling them on over the past year. The study, which started February 2012, recently ended this January 2013. The survey team surveyed Southern California anglers from Seal Beach to Santa Monica in order to understand their consumption habits of eating certain types of local contaminated fish, such as white croaker, barracuda, topsmelt, barred sand bass and black croaker.

During the yearlong study, the survey team learned quite a bit about the local anglers. For example, they found that the angler community in Southern California is comprised of a socially diverse group of men and women that speak a range of different languages. Despite coming from various backgrounds, their respect for one another and the sport is mightily admirable.

At first the survey team may have looked like they were a fish out of water, but they quickly got the hang of reeling in anglers and building a trusting relationship with them.

“Some anglers may appear to be rough around the edges, but they’re a friendly bunch once you get to know them. Before we knew it, we were sharing stories and cracking jokes with anglers about turd rollers [more commonly known as sand bass].” – Surveyor, Lucia Phan

“During the winter months, only the seasoned anglers were out and it was nice to see that we remembered each other.” – Surveyor, Thuy Nghiem

The study was a mutual learning experience for anglers and the survey team.

“By having conversations with anglers, we became aware of how fishing has changed over the years and why anglers are skeptical of us ‘outsiders.’ Many longtime anglers reported that catching fish now is not as easy as it used to be a decade ago, or even a few years ago. ” – Surveyor, Alben Phung

According to some anglers, the days of catching barracuda and buckets of corbina right off the pier are long gone. Dwindling fish populations, higher regulations, and an influx of outreach have made anglers more conscious of the situation. But all in all, anglers are still out there just to have a good time. As anglers shared their experiences and concerns about the future of fishing, a conclusion can be made: Make Protecting Fishin’ Our Mission!

Watch the EPA Consumption Study survey team in action and subscribe to our YouTube channel!

 

 

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Celebrating Love Sea-Style This February
Posted by FCEC | February 4, 2013

There are plenty of ways to spread the love all month long with family and friends at local community events. Here are some of our favorites for this month:

>> The Whale Watching continues! Catch a ride with Cabrillo Marine Aquarium all month long for the chance to see a Pacific grey whale.

>> It’s boating time. February 7 – 10 browse through the Los Angeles Boat Show at the LA Convention Center and Marina del Rey locations and sign up for a hands on clinic to learn about power boating and sailing from experts.

>> On February 13, join Cabrillo Marine Aquarium for their “Birds and the Bees, Under the Seas” program and learn how marine creatures mate, reproduce and ensure their young survive.

>> It’s the most romantic time of the year. Celebrate Valentine’s Day February 14 at the Aquarium of the Pacific for a gourmet dinner and a chance to explore the Aquarium at night with its elegant and romantic lighting.

>> Want to get your kids hooked on fishing? February 16 the Daniel Hernandez Youth Foundation is providing kids 10-14 a memorable and safe day of learning and fishing.

>> It’s shark time! The Santa Monica Pier Aquarium is hosting Shark Sundays through the month of February. Don’t miss your chance to learn some fun facts about the misunderstood creatures and get up close to the shark tank every Sunday at 3:30 pm.

>> Cultural festivals are always fun. February 23-24 Aquarium of the Pacific is hosting their annual African American Festival featuring live entertainment, ethnic food, dancers, musicians, storytellers and more!

>> Learn about California’s Love Affair with the Sea. Join author David Helvarg on February 28 at the Aquarium of the Pacific, as he discusses his book The Golden Shore, which dives into the state’s connection with the sea.

More information about these events and others are on our FCEC calendar.

How will you be spreading the love this month?

*Photo courtesy Aquarium of the Pacific.

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For the Love of Fish
Posted by FCEC | January 21, 2013

“For the past 50 years, we’ve been fishing the seas like we clear-cut forests. It’s hard to overstate the destruction. Ninety percent of large fish, the ones we love — the tunas, the halibuts, the salmons, swordfish — they’ve collapsed.” – Dan Barber

Watch this insightful Ted Talk by Dan Barber, a renowned New York chef and scholar, as he describes how he fell in love with fish and the sustainable recipe for the future of good food.

Is this healthy and self-renewing ecological network Dan describes possible? Wouldn’t you want all your food to come from these sustainable conditions? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section and join the conversation!

 

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Welcoming Phillip Ramsey to the Team
Posted by FCEC | January 8, 2013

For the last year, Judy Huang has been the sole Project Manager for EPA’s Palos Verdes Shelf project. In this New Year, we are pleased to welcome Phillip Ramsey to the team as Manager for the Institutional Controls Program. Phillip takes the reins of the 12 year program initially pioneered by EPA’s Fred Schauffler, who recently passed.

Please join us as we take a few moments to get to know Phillip and his plans for the Program:

FCEC: What were you working on before you were tapped to step in on the Palos Verdes Shelf Institutional Controls Program?

Phillip Ramsey: For the past seventeen years, I have been working in the EPA (Region 9) Federal Facilities unit of the Superfund program, assisting the military with the cleanup of numerous California bases. During that time I oversaw the transfer of the Oakland Naval Hospital and Oakland Navy Supply and also managed the Concord, Barstow, Tracy and Sharpe sites, to name some.  Prior to Federal Facilities, I managed a private Superfund site for about five years that is located in Los Angeles County: the Puente Valley Operable Unit of the San Gabriel Valley Superfund Site. I think it’s incredible that I have come full circle to work on this large scale, high profile, marine sediment site, and to be given this opportunity to serve the millions of people (and the thousands of anglers) that call SoCal home.

FCEC: What are you looking forward to about overseeing the Institutional Control Program?

Phillip Ramsey: I am very excited to have been asked to assist Judy Huang on the site and to build on the foundation that Fred Shauffler established for the Program.

I am looking forward to working with FCEC’s partners that are associated with the Educational Outreach, Monitoring, and Enforcement aspects of the Institutional Control Program. To date, I have had the pleasure of attending two meetings on the PV Shelf site and recognize the tremendous wealth of knowledge and experience that collectively exists. It’s my goal to maximize the utilization of this talented pool of professionals to develop a strengthened and robust Institutional Controls Program. Having a background and interest in fisheries and marine biology, and being an angler myself, I am very excited about managing the Education Outreach and Monitoring components and working with the local angling community to strengthen partnerships, improve communication and promote safe fishing practices.

I have a bachelor’s degree in biology (marine biology emphasis) from Fullerton, a graduate degree in natural resource (wastewater utilization option) from Humboldt State and have applicable experiences that have prepared me well for this project. I worked as a freshwater fisheries extensionist oversees in the Peace Corps, which provided me extensive cross cultural experiences, and have freshwater aquaculture experience, serving as a manager in an indoor aquaculture facility in Fresno County.

FCEC: What challenges do you see ahead?

Phillip Ramsey: Like other projects I have undertaken at EPA, I view challenges as opportunities. The Institutional Controls Program for the Palos Verdes Shelf Site represents an opportunity for EPA and its partners to continue ongoing efforts to reinforce and refine existing program components, in order to insure protection of human health, to further promote safe fishing practices and to support fishing and fisheries through positive communication, cooperation and collaboration with the public and commercial and sport fishing representatives that depend on sustainable fisheries.

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