Nov 25 — In 1771, George Washington worked as a commercial fisherman and caught 7,760 shad. Beginning next Spring, Hudson River fisherman won’t be catching any, legally.

The Times Herald-Record reports the NYS DEC is proposing new Hudson River rules prohibiting all commercial and recreational shad fishing. This is the first time the Department of Environmental Conservation has banned all fishing of the endangered species.

DEC fisheries biologist DEC Kathy Hattala says the agency has run out of options. “We had to do it. You won’t have a fishery if you don’t have fish,” she said.

Shad are one of the few safe fish to eat from the Hudson because they spend most of their time out at sea and have less exposure to PCBs that have polluted the Hudson near Albany.

Sources: Times Herald-Record 11/25/2009,  NY Outdoor News, The Founding Fish by John McPhee

Photo Credit: 1980’s photo “Setting out, Nyack, NY,” by Paul Margolis Photography