June 29, 2026 — State wildlife officials have restricted commercial fishing for northern anchovy and Pacific sardine in Monterey Bay after finding a toxin that can cause nausea, diarrhea and even death in humans.
Fish sampled from the bay contained elevated levels of domoic acid, a potent neurotoxin produced by a naturally occurring marine algae, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said Friday.
The agency restricted the commercial take of northern anchovy and Pacific sardine for human consumption in the area south of Pigeon Point, San Mateo County, to a line due west from Point Lobos, Monterey County.