Fish

To Jared Huffman, the name "fish and game" was an outdated artifact of a bygone era when state officials mostly set hunting seasons and bag limits. It no longer reflected the department's mission "to mange California's diverse fish, wildlife and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend, for their ecological values and for their use and enjoyment by the public. " "Having the name 'game' was a relic," said Huffman, a former Democratic state lawmaker from San Rafael who will be sworn in as a new member of Congress on Thursday.

MASINLOC, Philippines - The fishermen were sailing the azure waters off the Philippine coast when Richard Caneda saw the morning sunlight glinting off a vessel "bigger than the biggest ship in the Philippine navy. " Caneda could see a red Chinese flag. The words "Chinese Maritime Surveillance" were written on the ship's side. The ship came close enough that Caneda could see crew members on deck making hand gestures as though to shoo away a fly. Caneda, who had moved from the fishing boat to a tiny skiff to haul in nets left out overnight, soon saw a large gun mounted on the ship's deck pivoting directly toward him. A helicopter whirred overhead.

If you're still skeptical that a tan can be dangerous, consider this: Scientists have found that wild fish are getting skin cancer from ultraviolet radiation. Approximately 15% of coral trout inAustralia'sGreat Barrier Reef had cancerous lesions on their scales. In that regard, they resemble Australians who live on land - 2 in 3 people who live down under will be diagnosed with skin cancer before the age of 70, the highest rate in the world. It's probably no coincidence that Australia is under the Earth's biggest hole in the ozone layer.

Fish caught near wastewater treatment plants serving five major U.S. cities had residues of pharmaceuticals in them, including medicines used to treat high cholesterol, allergies, high blood pressure, bipolar disorder and depression, researchers reported Wednesday. Findings from this first nationwide study of human drugs in fish tissue have prompted the Environmental Protection Agency to expand similar research to more than 150 locations.

ART Dwayne Booth, the political cartoonist also known as Mr. Fish, is a ubiquitous presence in such venerable publications as Harper's, Vanity Fair, the Atlantic and many others, but is most frequently seen at Truthdig. In conjunction with the launch of his new book of cartoons and essays, "Go Fish: How to Win Contempt and Influence People," the Robert Berman Gallery will mount an exhibition of Mr. Fish's original drawings, prints and paintings, which also appear in the book. For the Saturday opening reception, he will be on hand to sign copies and discuss his work with Truthdig Editor in Chief Robert Scheer.

For workers at the popular Tsukiji fish market, the final indignity may have been when the intoxicated British tourist licked the head of a frozen tuna. In the now-notorious incident, captured by a Japanese TV crew, an irate market official shouted in English, "Get out! Get out!" as the man patted the tuna's gills. Every day, hundreds of sightseers gather in the predawn gloom to witness one of the most popular events on the Tokyo tourist agenda: the daily tuna auction.

I was delighted to read of the rescue and eventual release of the megamouth shark in Dana Point. Now, if the fishermen would cut up their gill nets to release every non-commercial fish they kill, that would really be something. LINDA SCHATZMAN Anaheim

I thought I had heard it all regarding humans' inhumanity and arrogance toward other animals, but chef Nobu Matsuhisa takes the prize: slicing a live fish, putting it back together and serving it while the fish, on the platter, is still gasping for air ("A Taste for Adventures in Dining," by S. Irene Virbila, Jan. 2). When will we decide we do not have the right to commit any acts of cruelty against all animals, nonhuman and human? We can start by never going to one of Matsuhisa's restaurants.

Artist William Attaway is applying tiles to his "Grunion Run" mosaic at the restrooms by the new basketball court along the Venice boardwalk. The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks commissioned Attaway to work on the mosaic and a nearby 20-foot ceramic column Attaway calls "Cultural Currents." Both were officially opened Jan. 11. * "So anyway, I'm cross-culturing my incantations here . . .