Economic Impact

At Serpas True Food in the Old Fourth Ward, oysters are a big part of chef-owner Scott Serpas’ Southern-inspired menu. The New Orleans-born chef flash-fries Apalachicola oysters from the Gulf until ethereally crisp and light, then serves them with pickled chiles and a slaw of merliton, Louisiana speak for chayote squash.

Serpas is wondering what he’ll be serving instead come summer. The massive BP oil spill has caused federal officials to shut down fishing in the Gulf of Mexico largely between Louisiana state waters at the mouth of the Mississippi River to the waters off Florida’s Pensacola Bay. But everything east of the mouth of the Mississippi could eventually be affected and that includes Apalachicola Bay and its famed 30 miles of oyster beds.

“I’m more worried about the fishing families I know,” Serpas said. “It doesn’t look good.”

Read the complete story at Access Atlanta.

The National Association of Charter Boat Operators has issued the following press release.

Orange Beach, AL-  The area closed to fishing is in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off the east coast of LA, coast of MS, and approximately 25 miles outside AL state waters.  FL state waters extend 9 miles from the coast and the EEZ closure begins approximately 25 miles off the coast of FL and extends southwest into the gulf.  The area closed is directly affected by the spill but all other areas of the EEZ are open.  FL state waters are open as well as AL state waters and some MS state waters.  LA state waters west of the spill, all TX state waters, all FL state waters south through the FL Keys and all other areas of the EEZ are open for all fishing except for normal seasonal fishery closures.

Fishing is a lifestyle that will survive this disaster and cooperative efforts between NOAA and fishermen will help save this lifestyle.

We plead with all media organizations to spread the word of the open areas to fishing as this will help with lessening the social and economic impacts that this disaster will produce.  The NOAA officials have pledged to continuously monitor the spill area and to only issue fishery closures as a result of the spill for limited periods and rolling areas.  This should help to keep some fishermen working and help to ease the economic losses.

NACO will be producing constant updates on the fishery closures to help inform the public of areas where fishing will be available.  We encourage all fishermen and those families seeking vacations along coastal areas to keep apprised of locations where there is no impact from the BP oil spill.  Most of the coastal areas are unaffected by the spill so families and fishermen can continue to enjoy their vacation activities.

As a giant oil slick lapped at southeastern Louisiana's ecologically sensitive coast, chefs, restaurant owners and seafood dealers were certain it would squeeze the state's $2.4 billion seafood industry. They just weren't sure how badly or for how long.

Federal officials shut down fishing for at least 10 days from the Mississippi River to the Florida Panhandle on Sunday because of the uncontrolled gusher spewing massive amounts of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

"It's called fear of the unknown," said Ricky Power, a suburban New Orleans seafood distributor. Power was certain, however, that prices will rise and availability will fall.

Among the unknowns: how much longer it would take oil giant BP to stop the flow of oil from the site of last week's offshore rig explosion; how successful would be the attempts to keep the oily water out of seafood habitat; and how the oil would affect reproduction of oysters, shrimp, crabs and finfish.

Read the complete story at The Boston Globe.