CDPH Warns the Public Not to Consume 

Commercial and Sport-Harvested Pacific Sardines 

from Southern California Waters​

May 13, 2025  

SN25-009​ 

What You Ne​ed to Kn​ow: CDPH is warning consumers not to eat commercial or sport-harvested Pacific sardines caught in Southern California waters from Point Conception in Santa Barbara to the California/Mexico border. Dangerous levels of domoic acid have been detected in Pacific sardines caught in these waters. People who consume products with high levels of domoic acid are at risk of symptoms that can range from mild to severe.   ​

SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is advising consumers to not eat commercial and sport-harvested Pacific sardines caught from waters from: 

• Point Conception (34° 27’ N. Lat.) to the California/Mexico border (which includes waters off Santa Barbara, Ventura, ​Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties). 
  

Dangerous levels of domoic acid have been detected in Pacific sardines caught along the Southern California coast. Sardines are of concern because the toxins reside in their digestive tracts, and sardines are not usually gutted before they are eaten. 

Please note that this advisory is not applicable to Pacific sardines that are directly off-loaded for use as bait (i.e. not intended for human or pet consumption). 

This safety notification is in addition to the April 14 warning against eating sport-harvested bivalve shellfish in Santa Barbara County, Ventura County, Los Angeles County, Orange County and San Diego County due to domoic acid. 

Symptoms of domoic acid poisoning, also referred to as Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning, can occur within 30 minutes to 24 hours after eating toxic seafood. In mild cases, symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache and dizziness. These symptoms disappear within several days. In severe cases, the consumer may experience trouble breathing, confusion, cardiovascular instability, seizures, excessive bronchial secretions, permanent loss of short-term memory, coma, or death. 

CDPH will continue to coordinate its efforts with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the fishing community to collect and test fish samples from the impacted areas until domoic acid levels have dissipated. There have been no reported illnesses associated with this event. ​

Please visit the CDPH Domoic Acid webpage and CDPH’​s Domoic Acid FAQ for more information. To receive updated information please, call CDPH’s toll-free “Shellfish Information Line” at (800) 553-4133. ​​​