Take of all fish and shellfish is immediately prohibited from Huntington Beach to Dana Point in Southern California, including the shorelines and offshore areas and all bays, due to the Huntington Beach oil spill on Saturday. The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has determined that a threat to public health is likely by fishing in the affected area or consuming fish or shellfish that may have been affected by the spill. OEHHA recommended this fishery closure to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). The CDFW’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) Administrator, Thomas Cullen, signed the closure on behalf of CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham.
October 5 Update: The fisheries closure has been expanded down to 2 miles north of San Clemente Pier and now extends 8 miles offshore. Both Newport Harbor and Dana Point Harbor are now closed to vessel traffic. This new closure document has the updated boundaries and replaces the earlier closure order. The extent of the closure is subject to change as conditions and factors in the area change.
Other notable oil spills for size comparison:
- This spill: Est. 126,000 gallons so far
- 2015 Refugio spill (Santa Barbara): 142,000 gallons
- 1990 American Trader (Huntington Beach): 417,000 gallons
- 1969 Santa Barbara spill: ~3 million gallons
This is a developing story, please check back for up-to-date information and visit https://wildlife.ca.gov/News and https://socalspillresponse.com/ for the latest updates.
