Fishing in urban New Jersey: Ethnicity affects information sources, perception and compliance

Journal Article · Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1999 · Risk Analysis

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006921610468· OSTI ID:6481017

Burger, J ^[1]; Pflugh, K K; Lurig, L; Hagen, L A.V. ^[2]; Hagen, S von ^[3]

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1. Rutgers-the State Univ. of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ (United States)
2. New Jersey Dept. of Environmental Protection, Trenton, NJ (United States). Div. of Science and Research
3. Univ. of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, NJ (United States). Dept. of Pharmacology and Toxicity

Recreational and subsistence angling are important aspects of urban culture for much of North American where people are concentrated near the coasts or major rivers. Yet there are fish and shellfish advisories for many estuaries, rivers, and lakes, and these are not always heeded. This paper examines fishing behavior, sources of information, perceptions, and compliance with fishing advisories as a function of ethnicity for people fishing in the Newark Bay Complex of the New York-New Jersey Harbor. The authors test the null hypothesis that there were no ethnic differences in sources of information, perceptions of the safety of fish consumption, and compliance with advisories. There were ethnic differences in consumption rates, sources of information about fishing, knowledge about the safety of the fish, awareness of fishing advisories or of the correct advisories, and knowledge about risks for increased cancer and to unborn and young children. In general, the knowledge base was much lower for Hispanics, was intermediate for blacks, and was greatest for whites. When presented with a statement about the potential risks from eating fish, there were no differences in their willingness to stop eating fish or to encourage pregnant women to stop. These results indicate a willingness to comply with advisories regardless of ethnicity, but a vast difference in the base knowledge necessary to make an informed risk decisions about the safety of fish and shellfish. Although the overall median income level of the population was in the $25,000--34,999 income category, for Hispanics it was on the border between $15,000--24,999 and $25,000--34,999.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: FC01-95EW55084
• OSTI ID: 6481017
• Journal Information: Risk Analysis, Vol. 19:2; ISSN 0272-4332
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
COMPLIANCE
FISHES
FOOD CHAINS
MINORITY GROUPS
NEW JERSEY
POLLUTION REGULATIONS
URBAN AREAS
WATER POLLUTION
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
HUMAN POPULATIONS
NORTH AMERICA
POLLUTION
POPULATIONS
REGULATIONS
USA
VERTEBRATES
540320* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology