Can you eat fish from the Hudson River? For the first time in 50 years, the answer is yes.
Last week, the New York State Department of Health announced some pretty significant updates to its guidelines: for the first time in 50 years, people are now allowed to eat "some fish" from the Lower Hudson River.
The change is directly related to lower levels of polychlorinated byphenyls (PCBs) in the water, toxic chemicals that bioaccumulate in food chains and are classified as likely human carcinogens.
More specifically, the department announced that the “sensitive population”—that is, people who can become pregnant and children under 15—“can now enjoy up to one eight-ounce meal per month of striped bass, among some other species from this portion of the river,” according to an official press release.
The general population, on the other hand, can eat up to four such meals per month.
A few more things: carp and smallmouth bass from the Lower Hudson are still not recommended and, since PCBs mostly stay in the fat of the fish, folks are still encouraged to cut off the skin and fat from the food and cook it "so that the fat drips off." The practice will apparently reduce the amount of chemicals in the fish by half.
You can see a full list of advisories by species right here.
"New York's waterways are world-renowned for abundant fishing opportunities," said Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton in an official statement. "It remains critical to advise of any potential health risks from contaminants that may build up in fish tissue in certain bodies of water so that anglers can make well-informed choices about consuming their catch. DEC prioritizes cleaning up contaminants and restoring water quality to support fish consumption."
If the weather finally cooperates, don't be surprised to see more New Yorkers lining the banks of the Hudson this summer, rods in hand. There's just something about catching your own dinner that feels really exciting.
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