Fish Feast

 

Bowne Park is a disaster

Hello Crapunzel,

It’s been awhile since I’ve felt the need to contact you. Recently in the blog you’ve mentioned North Flushing, sidewalks and street digging, and since I am a resident of the Bowne Park area of NF I figured you might have an interest in this.

The Department of Parks and Councilman Paul Vallone in their infinite wisdom have determined that Bowne Park should be ignored. We have made several requests for more trash cans on the 159th street side of the park, by the playground, where ice cream vendors ply their trade and parents allow their issue to drop litter, to no avail. Attached are photos of their solution, black plastic bags hung over fences.

We’ve also complained to Vallone about the pond. For OVER TWO weeks the fountains have been shut off leading to an algae bloom that is not only unhealthy for the fish and turtles in the pond but to the olfactory senses of the local residents. See attached photos.

Repeated calls to Vallone’s office have not alleviated this problem. Contacting the Parks department at the Overlook is a total waste of time, they do not care about one of their park “Jewels”.

Also, take a gander of the bocce court that the department added a couple of years ago for about $500,000...no one uses it.

Thanks for your attention.

Sincerely,

Philipe the pissed

What killed the Flushing Creek fish?

From the Queens Tribune:

With reports last week of “thousands of dead fish” floating in Flushing Creek, the city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) placed the blame on predatory TK fish, which the agency said chased the defenseless fish into low-oxygen areas where they ultimately died.

But Councilman Peter Koo (D-Flushing) and local environmentalists tell a different story, blaming the deaths of the fish on the polluted conditions in the creek, where the city is currently looking to reduce combined sewage overflows (CSOs). These are instances where, during heavy rainfall, sewage-treatment plants cannot handle the increased load, and a combination of excess rainwater and untreated sewage seeps into local waterways.

On Aug. 11, Koo used the deaths of the fish as evidence that the city should rethink its long-term control plan for Flushing Creek and Flushing Bay—which is the DEP’s plan to reduce CSOs. Alongside environmentalists, Koo argued that the plan’s use of chlorine to disinfect the waters could have a negative impact on the waters’ ecosystems, and that the city should invest in increasing the capacity of the area’s sewage infrastructure.

The DEP also says it sampled the waters the Monday before the fish kill, which occurred on Aug. 9, and found sufficient oxygen to support marine life. Additionally, it says the rain that occurred that Monday was all captured by the $350 million sewer overflow tank. It argues that fish kills like this have happened before, and if the water conditions were at fault, the predatory fish would be dying as well. The DEP is building green infrastructure in the area to capture stormwater before it enters the sewer system.

But marine immunologist James Cervino, who is the chairman of Community Board 7’s environmental committee, said that he analyzed the dead fish and concluded that the fish were killed by polluted waters. He said that had the fish been killed off in a predatory event, there would be “massive lesions and bitemarks.”

“There [are] no bitemarks,” he said. “Some of the fish have been eaten by blue fish and chased, which is a normal process, but a majority of fish that died off were due to a harmful algal bloom.”

What the hell is a TK fish?

Nothing illegal about hanging dead fish outside

From CBS 2:

Something fishy is going on in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn – and some residents say it stinks so much they have been calling 311 to complain.

As CBS2’s Alice Gainer reported Friday, a line of half-wrapped dead fish is hanging on the roof of a home in the neighborhood, and many neighbors are not pleased.

“Sure it smells — especially at that time when they hang it in the back, so I tell them all the time, but they don’t listen to nobody,” said neighbor Sal Felse.

CBS2’s Gainer did not smell anything on Friday. But neighbors along the stretch of 64th Street said it is worse when the weather is warmer.

But the stench is not the biggest concern.

“Rodents and insects — it’s very unsanitary,” one neighbor said.

“That side — they used to get mice,” another said. “I don’t know if they still do.”

Neighbors said the residents have been hanging fish on the roof for a long time. CBS2 caught up with the homeowner outside, who rents out the two apartments inside.

When asked if she would take the fish down, the woman said, “I don’t know.” But she does not speak much English, so CBS2 went to another neighbor’s house to translate.

“She says she doesn’t want to talk about it,” the neighbor said.

Fish die-off at Kissena Lake

From CBS:

A lake full of dead fish in a Queens park left residents confused on Thursday.

Dozens and dozens of dead fish filled Kissena Lake in Flushing, while carp swam to the surface and gasped for air, trying to stay alive.

As CBS2’s Tracee Carrasco reported, locals who have been watching the fish die slowly over the past few days were troubled by the sight.

“They were taking the nets, and dragging the fish out, and throwing them in the garbage pails,” Claudia Hollander said.

“I’ve been here for 25 years and I’ve never seen this kind of devastation,” Robert Allen said.

People at Kissena Park started noticing the fish inside of the catch and release lake suddenly dying on Wednesday morning.

The Department of Parks and Recreation told CBS2 that the lake was low on oxygen.

“The water was low on oxygen. Likely due to an algae bloom following the heavy rain,” the department said.

They have been pumping fresh water into the lake which seemed to be providing some relief, but many people said that isn’t enough and fear that the damage is already done.

Fish going belly-up at Willow Lake

From the Daily News:

Dozens of fish are turning up dead in a Queens lake — and no one is sure why.

Carp have been seen floating on the shores of Willow Lake, a part of Flushing Meadows Corona Park that the city is turning into a wild preserve.

More than a dozen dead fish were seen floating or washed up on shore during a visit to the lake on Friday.

A large number were spotted on the western edge near the walking bridge. More washed up by the bird blind on the eastern side of the lake.

The city has been transforming Willow Lake in Flushing Meadows Corona Park into a wildlife preserve with hiking trails. But in recent weeks scores of dead fish have been spotted floating along the lake's edge. No one is sure why but some speculate herbicides might be the cause.

But there were signs of life near the dead fish and tires floating in the water. Other fish were seen jumping in the air.

Vibrant and diverse fishing habits

From the NY Times:

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.

Power plant may be killing fish

From the Times Ledger:

The Sierra Club is asking a judge from Queens Supreme Court to require that the state Department of Environmental Conservation review the issuing of the first water withdrawal permit given to the Ravenswood Power Plant because the organization claims withdrawing water from the East River is killing fish.

The challenge by the grassroots environmental group along with the Hudson River Fisherman was filed last Friday. The authorization by the state agency allows the Long Island City-based plant to use up to 1.5 billion gallons of water a day from the East River. The permit is valid until 2017.

According to the Sierra Club, the DEC failed to order the power plant to have a closed-cycle cooling system in place.

“I hope the judge decides to have a hearing on this,” said Jonathan Geballe, attorney for the organization. “We believe we have a strong case.”

Geballe calculates that in about two months the Queens Supreme Court judge will make a decision.

Fish smuggler sent to jail

From the Daily News:

A Brooklyn judge struck a blow for endangered fish the world over, sentencing a Queens man Wednesday to one year in jail for smuggling the bony-tongued Arowana in his suitcase.

The rare fish is sold on the black market in Chinatown and Asian neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens for up to $8,000 apiece because of its supposed power to bring good luck.

But Chee Chaw has had nothing but bad luck since his suitcase was misplaced during a transfer from Hong Kong, and the fishy contraband was discovered after the bag arrived on a later flight.

Nine of the 16 fish, packed in water-filled plastic bags, died during the journey. Four more fish from a previous smuggling mission were recovered in his Elmhurst apartment.

"He's contributing to the demise of this fish by importing them into the United States," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiana Demas.

The prosecutor said Chaw had smuggled fish at on at least three occasions since 2004. A previous arrest was disposed of with an $850 fine.

Big stink at Springfield Park

From NBC 4:

Something stinks -- and the source of the smell could lie beneath murky waters here in the Springfield Gardens section of Queens where residents have had enough of the odor.

It's a problem that has many of the folks in the neighborhood fishing around for answers after spotting a large number of dead fish inside the waters here at Springfield Park.

Some are citing the heat as a possible reason. But Parks believes there's a lot more to it.

"We're trying to figure out what's going on," said Parks. "Did somebody spill something there? Is there a leak under the lake? But we can't get any answers from 311."

So, we put in a phone call to the New York City Parks department and quickly learned that officials there are aware of the problem and "have sent some of the fish to the Department of Environmental Conservation for testing to find out why and how they died."

Fishing in Jamaica Bay

I like how the reporter and newscasters act like this is something that no one knew about and haven't been doing for centuries...

Something fishy in Flushing

Courtesy of CherokeeSista.

Something fishy about Malaysian smuggler

From the Daily News:

The supposed good luck powers of the bony-tongued Arowana fish didn't work for a Queens man who was charged with smuggling the creatures into New York in his suitcase.

Chee Chaw packed his suitcase with 16 of the rare, valuable fish in water-filled plastic bags when he left Malaysia for Kennedy Airport last April, court papers said.

Authorities say Chaw, 47, bought the fish - which fetch thousands of dollars on the black market - while visiting relatives.

His suitcase got misplaced during a transfer in Hong Kong and arrived in New York on a later Cathay Pacific Flight. Chaw arranged to have it delivered to his home in Elmhurst.

A routine check of the bag revealed the unusual contents - and the feds dispatched a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agent dressed up like a UPS worker to Chaw's house.

After Chaw confirmed the bag was his, Agent Paul Chapelle told him the fish found inside cannot be imported without a permit.

Agents recovered four more Arowanas during a search of the alleged smuggler's home. Several of the original 16 died in federal custody.

Leave the bass alone!

From the NY Times:

Two men were arrested this week in Brooklyn, hauling almost 300 pounds of illegally caught striped bass up to their truck, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. Enforcement officers observed the men fishing off Breezy Point, the westernmost edge of the Rockaways, and followed them back to a dock in Shell Bank Creek in the Gerritsen Beach neighborhood, the D.E.C. said. The poachers had 46 fish, 44 more than the legal recreational limit. Forty of the fish were “shorts” — smaller than the legal recreational size requirement of 28 inches.

And from the DEC press release:

Their arraignment is scheduled for early December. They are facing thousands of dollars in fines and a possible four years in prison. The Brooklyn District Attorney's Office is prosecuting the case. The fish were seized and destroyed because Striped Bass are not permitted to be harvested for commercial sale from waters west of East Rockaway Inlet due to the potential level of contaminants in the fish.

Buttkiss refuses to kick the bucket

From Gothamist:

Meet Buttkiss, the black pacu who has eaten more than 175,000 fish during his residence in Queens. “We feed him twenty-five goldfish every other day,” says Steve Gruebel, the owner of Cameo Pet Shop in Richmond Hill. You do the math. He’s been in the shop continuously since 1970, becoming a Richmond Hill landmark in that time.

Why hasn’t he been sold already? “We actually sold him in 1968 to a Holocaust survivor named Kurt Emerick. The fish was about two inches long at that time. But he got so big he was knocking things over in Kurt’s fishtank. Kurt didn’t like that. He was a perfectionist. So he brought him back here in a bucket. Later Kurt got hit by a bus on Metropolitan Avenue and died. But the fish is still here. I had just gotten back from Nam and I decided to keep him.”