Good to know you have standards Jerome!
I have tried it. I was told the lye was rendered "inactive" by time and the fish. It is utterly revolting, and exists as sort of a test for visitors. Something like mopane worms.
In Northern Canada we have muktuk, which is somewhat in the same vein. You take whale blubber and bury it in the ground for a year or so, until it rots. You then dig it up and eat it. If you didn't let it rot, you'd find it likely too chewy to eat. The smell is almost as appalling as the taste. Likely why it's best on a cold day, when you can't smell it.
We make a modern version, which dispenses with the rotting, but it's not authentic, and don't let anyone tell you differently.
