Hudson River Dredging
Hi folks,
I know by now most of you are aware of the dredging going on in the north end of the Hudson River. Those of us who fish the Hudson need to be very wary of the fish we catch there. I only fish the Hudson during the month of May when the Striped Bass are running, but the Hudson is always active with anglers and recreational boaters from April to November. I would advise anyone who uses the river to do their own research on the dangers of the PCB’s that they are attempting to remove from the river.
I find local newspapers are not always the best resource, I truly believe the media is tainted by the powers that be and only report what they are told to report. I think we have seen enough of that during the last presidential administration! Anyway let me stay focused on my point, I am putting a link in here to the official dredging site, but keep in mind this site is maintained by G.E. the same company that caused the pollution in the first place, but none the less it does contain some helpful information on the dredging process. You can find them at http://www.hudsondredging.com/
Although it is only my personal opinion I would not eat anything from the Hudson River and certainly would not drink from it. I have read reports that still say you can consume one meal every thirty days, but why would you take that chance. Maybe you should fish from one of the natural streams that run off the mountains and empty into the Hudson. I am sure the fish you catch there will be a much safer bet.
A quick need to mention about a personal experience I had fishing in the Hudson River. About seven years ago I was fishing from a boat with a few friends at the intersection of the Hudson River and the Rondout Creek. I hooked a thirty pound Striper. After pulling the fish in I noticed two large round lesion’s one on its belly and one around one of its eyes. I don’t know why this fish had this deformity, but I have never kept another fish for consumption out of the Hudson ever again. I have also seen other people pull out Channel Catfish with similar infections on their bellies. This may be related to the PCB pollution or maybe something else, but either way I am not going to feed my family these fish.
I know this was a bit long winded just to provide you with a link, but I feel very strongly that we need to open our eyes to what is happening to our planet. Even if we bring it to the public one river or one polluting company at a time! The resources of our planet belong to all of us, not just the rich and powerful. This is America and we all have the right to speak up and disagree with what is going on around us especially when the future of our rivers and lakes are at stake.
If you are aware of other issues that are affecting our environment or have a helpful link that can motivate people to change how we treat our planet, Please post them here or send them to us through or contact page here.
Thanks for reading my blog; I will be posting again soon….
2 Comments
Penelope
March 6th, 2012
You are wise and to be thanked for posting this warning to those of us who might fish the Hudson on a trip. I’m not familiar with all the news in the area, but I have gone there on vacation. I know now not to eat the fish I catch. I think we’re sticking to ocean fish for now.
Hi, Thanks for commenting! I wanted to add a quick note here. For those who fish the Hudson River for Striped Bass and I know many do every May. I have learned that most of the contaminates are present in the lower part of the belly of the fish. So if your going to consume these fish it would be a good practice to cut away the white portion of the lower belly and dispose of it. These bass are usually pretty big, so they would still leave some nice fillets and you would be lowering your risk of contamination.
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