Scottish Taste Testers Sample Gas Leak Fish

Scotland has called in taste testers to sample the fish found near the site of a North Sea gas leak, an unusual gastronomic exercise intended to provide reassurance to Scottish seafood lovers. The government says specially trained "sensory testers" at the Aberdeen-based Marine Scotland Science organization sniffed and tasted seven different species of fish collected near Total's leak-stricken Elgin platform earlier this week and found them to be "untainted by hydrocarbons."

Total's facility was evacuated late last month following the discovery of a gas leak. Since then the rig has been spewing millions of cubic feet of natural gas every day, and environmental groups have expressed concern over the leak's impact. A government spokesperson says the taste test is an "established procedure which uses the power of the human tongue"; it involves tasters sniffing the fish before taking a bite and then spitting it out. Meanwhile, full chemical testing of fish collected from around the platform is still being carried out. (More strange stuff stories.)