Consumption of Contaminated Seafood in an Environmental Justice Community: A Qualitative and Spatial Analysis of Fishing Controls

New Bedford Harbor (NBH) in Massachusetts was listed as a Superfund site in 1983 due to extensive contamination with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from industrial pollution. Since 1999, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has posted signage and fencing in areas around NBH to discourage fishing activity, along with distributing consumption advisories locally. This exploratory study combined qualitative and geographic information system methods to assess fishing activity, signage, and awareness of the PCB contamination and consumption advisories among people fishing at NBH. We conducted interviews with fishermen along a portion of NBH (n = 12), and we recorded and geocoded observations and locations of fishing activity (n = 54) and fishing related signage (n = 53). Despite our limited sample size, our findings are similar to those of larger quantitative studies: advisories are not reaching vulnerable fishing populations. While all participants stated that their reasons for fishing were recreational, two-thirds reported that their catch was eaten. People who ate or shared their catch for consumption were less aware of signage, the advisory, and the contamination than nonconsumers. Most signage lacked visuals, the consumption messaging was not consistent, and was limited to English, Spanish, and Portuguese, which may not be sufficient to reach newer immigrants. This pilot study identified successes and shortcomings of the current efforts by EPA to reduce consumption of PCB contaminated seafood in this environmental justice community. Finally, we offer lessons learned and suggestions for future research on a larger scale.