It may seem like an unusual spot to catch dinner, across the East River from Manhattan’s imposing skyline. And the tiny fish that a group of fisherwomen trap in these waters may not seem like dinner at all.
But the women, Bangladeshi immigrants who live nearby, show up nearly every day, along a stretch of Vernon Boulevard in Queens that overlooks a sheltered section of the East River known as Hallet’s Cove.
They wear long, colorful dresses and head scarves, and tote numerous metal traps that they toss into the river to lure small, silvery fish typically used by many anglers as bait and commonly called spearing or shiners.
Small fish like these happen to be staples of the Bangladeshi diet, often stir-fried with rice and vegetables. So these women appear this time of year when schools of the fish are plentiful in New York City’s warm waterways, even in this urban stretch of river where the coastline is dominated by power plants and sewage treatment centers.
The women, who lack a New York State-mandated recreational fishing license or a city permit to fish near a boat launch at the location, also seem to be far exceeding the strict limitations that state health authorities recommend for eating fish taken from the East River.
The woman said that when enough fish were in her bucket, she would, as usual, take them home to her family’s apartment in the nearby Astoria Houses public housing project, and serve them to her family for dinner, frying them and adding tomato sauce, garlic, onions, chili pepper and other spices.
30 comments:
Fishing license? Really? Too much state regulation. Seems like everything short of breathing is licensed these days.
Vibrant! Diverse! Spicy!
Ill I'll never eat anything that comes from NYC rivers. I don't even drink NYC water without a filter on my sink. That's third worlders for you though.
It is official: NYC is a third world country!
The women, who lack a New York State-mandated recreational fishing license or a city permit to fish near a boat launch at the location, also seem to be far exceeding the strict limitations that state health authorities recommend for eating fish taken from the East River.
No license? NO PROBLEM!
Exceeded the legal limit? NO PROBLEM!
Come to America! We'll adjust our laws to YOUR customs and practices! No problem!
Laws are on the books only for those non-vibrant and non-diverse WHITE PEOPLE who were born here!
No permit, no fish. The law is the law!
Why in the world would anyone eat the crap that comes out of that toxic dump?
Because it seems clean in comparison to the rivers where they come from.
"I'll never eat anything that comes from NYC rivers. I don't even drink NYC water without a filter on my sink. That's third worlders for you though."
NYC tap water comes from upstate, not NYC.
Perhaps, but it goes through NYC pipes.
If this keeps them off food stamps great, but something tells me they are getting them too.
"Laws are on the books only for those non-vibrant and non-diverse WHITE PEOPLE who were born here!"
Its so funny that you say that.
Who are the people making sure that non-diverse, non-white people follow the rules ? Who are the people that scorn disobedience ? Who are the people who socially castrate you for non-typical behaivor ?
I cant even count how many times someone did something so egregious ie coughing/sneezing and not covering their mouths/nose, being too close to my personal space, stepping onf my feet repeatedley and I ask/tell the to stop and I've confronted these people with borderline combative behaivor and almost invariably the only people to ever intervene or make it their business were WHITE PEOPLE.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
"Laws are on the books only for those non-vibrant and non-diverse WHITE PEOPLE who were born here!"
Its so funny that you say that.
Who are the people making sure that non-diverse, non-white people follow the rules ? Who are the people that scorn disobedience ? Who are the people who socially castrate you for non-typical behaivor ?
I cant even count how many times someone did something so egregious ie coughing/sneezing and not covering their mouths/nose, being too close to my personal space, stepping onf my feet repeatedley and I ask/tell the to stop and I've confronted these people with borderline combative behaivor and almost invariably the only people to ever intervene or make it their business were WHITE PEOPLE.
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Stick to the topic, the topic are LAWS, not manners. Sure all kinds of people have bad manners, BUT again we are talking LAWS.
Damn, stay on topic instead of diverting the subject matter.
It's amazing that anything can even live in the waters around NYC. What's next - the Newtown Creek catch o' the day?
As odd as I find this to be, why would anyone really care if there catching fish in NYC's dirty waters? Sure there are laws, but is there a reason to divert resources here to enforce it, when enforcement should be done on more serious issues? I mean, these people are literately hunting for there dinner vs begging. I think there are far more serious issues in this City to be concerned about.
Also, NYC will always be home to immigrants, including your ancestors. So deal with it and stop complaining about diversity.
the law is the law enforce it, maybe the idiot deblasios nyc id card will give them a free fishing permit also, while the honest taxpayers follow the rules and pay for there permit.
Wow, a literal example of Queens being a third world cesspool.
While there should be catch limits due to PCB and heavy metal in sediments, most of the fish in NYC waters don't spend their lives here.
The days of "Clean Harbor" where the water was so polluted that barnacles on ship hulls died and fell off, are over. We are getting better at cleaning the effluent we discharge into NY harbor, and move slowly to better manage storm water runoff. The 150 year descent into water quality nadir (~1930) will take a 150 year clean up.
The two projects DeBalsio could implement could be:
1) Roof water storage and rainwater infiltration.
2) Tankers to temporarily retain stormwater runoff.
Sorry, but laws are only for American citizens to follow. The illegals break the law sneaking into this country. Why should they have to obey laws? The rules don't apply to them. Thank your government for that.
I want to plunk down several thousand a month to live next to this, especially if my lobby will be flooded a few times each decade.
I have a better idea for Astoria Cove: I will buy the one bed room and rent it to an extended Bangladeshi family - lets see - 5 or 6 wage earners, welfare support for the kids, extra income for bottles, and my sub-leasees should clear my $2500 monthly costs with ease.
What's next - the Newtown Creek catch o' the day?
Dont laugh, that water was trekked into every restaurant down there after every flood. That is something that even bleach does not clean.
You'll be paying their medical bills when they get sick, so people should care.
If this keeps them off food stamps great, but something tells me they are getting them too
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The article states they live in the Astoria Houses. Trust me, they get benefits galore!
Anon said:
Sure there are laws, but is there a reason to divert resources here to enforce it, when enforcement should be done on more serious issues?
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But a BIG problem is that very few laws are enforced to begin with even on serious issues: illegal apartments, illegal curb cuts, sanitation laws, illegal parking (look at how many cars without license plates are parked all over city streets in Queens), cementing green space, building codes, the list goes on and on.
I mean if you cannot enforce a law that allows people with big vehicles to plop a clothing bin down on a sidewalk or a vehicle with a cherry picket to post signs high up on LIRR trestles and street signs, what the hell is to stop someone from planting a bomb in an LIRR tunnel.
Bottom line laws are made to be enforced, not to look the other way because they are "little", which is what has happened in NYC for years.
Talk to DOB about illegal curb cuts and they will tell you they are not even on their priority list, but when you ask what is on their priority list, you get silence.
There is a reason why some places are much nicer to live than NYC, they enforce laws no matter how small.
frying them and adding tomato sauce, garlic, onions, chili pepper and other spices.
Gotta admit, it sounds tasty.
As long as they don't wind up treated in the hospital for toxic exposure on the taxpayer dime...
No Licence? NO PROBLEM!
Exceeding the Limt? NO PROBLEM?
Come to the US with no means of supporting yourself...
" she would, as usual, take them home to her family’s apartment in the nearby Astoria Houses public housing project,"
NO PROBLEM!
Notify the Nys DEC Police......
They are selling the fish, not taking them home to eat.
Probably just exposing my ignorance, but aren't there size limits to how small a fish you can catch without releasing?
At Frank Charles Park in Howard Beach most days there are a group of Asians catching fish with a large net. I asked the National Park Rangers and they say it's legal. They don't need a license and there are no limits on size and amounts.
I also noticed in a large Asian market on Broadway in Elmhurst that the same small fish are on sale.
The DEC did arrest some people for digging clams there last month because they are contaminated and could be sold.
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