Is It Safe to Eat a Fish You Caught in the Hudson River? Congratulations, you went out fishing and you caught something. It is a wonderful feeling, right? What are you going to do? Are you going to eat your fish or are you going to throw it back? Is it actually safe to eat it? Get our free mobile app According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, there are two factors that go into whether or not you can actually eat that fish you caught. Between you and me, you might want to know this before you go fishing. That way, if you catch something you can't eat, you can take the photo and then toss it back in the water to swim another day.