You Got That Fish Where?

(Welcome a new contributor to ChewsWise.com, food writer Clare Leschin-Hoar)

Sure, Sam talks plenty about what kind of fish we should be eating, and we’ve got our own case of the bluefin tuna blues, but not all the fish news is gloomy. Dan Ackman caught our attention when he tackled the job of pointing out primo spots for fishing in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens in a recent WSJ article.

Talk about angling for a view. Who knew New York Harbor was home to striped bass, bluefish, fluke and the occasional albacore tuna? Apparently, plenty of New Yorkers did. There are now nearly 120 fishing spots within the city’s five boroughs, and state officials say the fish caught there is safe for consumption too.
 
Avid fisherman and marine scientist David Conover of Stony Brook University keeps to his fishing grounds off Long Island but says encouraging urbanites to develop a connection to the ocean helps bring home the message of keeping our waters clean. But would he go so far as to eat something he caught off of Battery Park?  “Only on very rare occasions and only if its a migratory species that is just passing through and probably spent most of its life in the open ocean.”
 
It turns out, New Yorkers aren’t alone in their piscatorial passion. Plenty of states, like Kansas and Minnesota are luring residents to urban fishing programs. Here in Boston, our own harbor is hopping too. Fishing expert Pete Santini says it’s home to stripers, bluefish and cod, and most recently, he’s seeing once-depleted flounder stocks making a strong comeback here. 
 
With gas inching towards $5 a gallon, we bet more fishermen will be taking to the waters close to home this summer, which means it’s only a matter of time before this morphs into another lively Boston/New York rivalry.
 –Clare Leschin-Hoar
 

 

Comments

[Sam Fromartz]

I had friends who used to fish down in Battery Park (long before it was fashionable), though I couldn't believe they ate the fish. Books like Mark Kurlansky's "Big Oyster" point out how rich the NYC harbor waters once were - so maybe there's hope.

And this has whet my appetite for fishing again. Maybe I will get out the waders and surf rod for the fall run of striped bass.

[Aaron Smith]

Now this is cool.

I travel to NYC often on business. Next trip I'm bringin' the rod and tackle box. What a great way to have fun, meet people and save on restaurant expenses!

[Cheryl]

This is fascinating, Clare. Just one more step in the back-to-the earth movement, I suppose. Not only are more people starting to grow their own veggies, plant fruit trees in their backyards, and order direct-from-the-farm meat, but now they'll start fishing for their dinner, too.

[Emmett]

With the state of the economy, it only makes sense that people are turning to local sources of food. thanks for showing us this one, Clare, very insightful. I'm not gonna pack my rod when I travel, but there's definitely sources of fish nearby I can look into, plus, it seems a worthwhile family activity. Great piece, keep it up!

[Madeline]

Back in the day, no NYC bridge (the little ones that you barely notice, not the giant ones like the Verazano or George Washington) was without its little old man fishing on a sunny summer day. I always wondered how they could eat fish that came out of water that smelled like tar.

Nice to know that the water is cleaner and that the old timers may soon have company.

[Barb]

I've often wondered about eating the fish caught in the many canals around where I live in S. Florida...I can only imagine the fertilzers that have washed into these canals. I like Conover's take on occasionally and only if migratory...I'm thinking the fish in those canals are not migratory. I'll stick to ocean fish for now.

[Sam Fromartz]

... My friend G. Chew writes:

Sam, first of all, I must commend you on your choice of name for your blog. I humbly suggest that you put the wise before the Chews.

I have extensive experience fishing in the rivers surrounding NYC. I've fished for blackfish in sight of the Statute of Liberty and have fished for striped bass and bluefish at the outflow of raw sewage in the Hudson. (It was dark and all I saw were birds working. I just didn't know they were feeding on fecal matter).

I have fished off of U Thant Island opposite the UN casting rattletraps and catching small striped bass.In addition, I have eaten blackfish from the harbor and I am still alive!