Why has commercial fishing on the Hudson River been banned for decades?
Since 1975, New York State has restricted fishing in the Hudson River and the consumption of fish taken from the Hudson because of the presence of high concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the fish.
People Also Ask
For Your Health- In 1976, the Upper Hudson River was closed to fishing due to extremely high amounts of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in fish. These levels posed a high risk of possible harmful health effects in humans. Since 1976, the manufacture of PCBs has been banned and their use phased out.
Men over 15 and women over 50 face fewer health risks from some chemicals. For that reason, they can eat up to six crabs a week from the Hudson River and New York City waters. Crabs from the Long Island Sound, Jamaica Bay and the ocean are less contaminated and are a better choice for everyone.
The Hudson was notorious decades ago for being tainted by everything from industrial chemicals to old tires and sewer runoff. Even as late as 2004, when Swain swam the length of the river to encourage its continued cleanup, a New York Post headline read: Love That Dirty Water; Eco-Nut Swims The Slimy Hudson River.
While there are orange individuals in the Hudson, these tend to be easy pickings for predators; one study of the diet of ospreys along the Hudson found that goldfish were a common prey of this fish-eating hawk. Thus the goldfish we catch are more likely to be olive green or brown than orange or gold.