Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Don't Eat the Street Fish!

I don't think I'd need to be warned: Don't eat the fish on the streets, Newark residents warned:
The fish is not for eating. That's what Newark officials are saying to residents about the fish that have washed onto the streets following recent flooding.

The fish were caught or found in flooded sewers, rivers, streams, and ponds after heavy rains doused the city.

The alert was issued Monday by the city's Health and Community Wellness Department.

Officials urged people to not trap, catch or eat any fish caught on the streets because it's unclear how "exposure to elements outside of their natural domains will affect them."

Knowing what I know of contaminant uptake kinetics, I don't think the short stint on the streets, even in Newark, would contaminate them beyond the point of edibility. Wash them off, don't eat the guts (in case they ate a dog turd). On the other hand, I wouldn't eat a carp that lived full time in a stormwater retention pond in Newark New Jersey. Even aside from the contamination, I'm not impressed with the taste and texture of carp, although the Chinese and Ashkenazim are reputed to prize them.

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