NEW! Now you can tune in here for your very own culinary tips, news, insights and thoughts direct from our kitchen. Learn more about some of your favorites and soon to be favorites on our menu, discover new recipes and stories we'll share and more in this fun, brand new featured section we call Notes from The Kitchen. Only at www.theoschophouse.com
THE GULF FISHING INDUSTRY: A Way Forward
Post #17 | 5-28-10
Page 1, 2
We've all been following the horrific news of the oil spill disaster in the Gulf Of Mexico that began on April 20. America has been invaded. We here at Theo's have already been affected in both supply and price levels, no surprise there.We can all make a difference as consumers, it will mean life or death for an already stressed gulf fishing industry.
It's staggering to consider what may happen environmentally and economically to this region; one of the most fertile fishing grounds in the world. Not only is the oil a factor, but the toxic dispersants being used by BP to break up the oil have never been tested in open waters this far down and are taking their own toll. Already workers at the site are being pulled complaining of illnesses in the affected area.
As of a few days ago, slowly but surely, the oil has invaded our coastal areas, including the marshlands, all the while killing our defenseless wildlife in it's path. From an environmental standpoint there are just too many questions at this point that can't begin to be answered as we begin to deal with this unprecedented dilemma, now officially the worst oil spill in US history.
This couldn't happen at a worse time because this also happens to be breeding season for many of the species that call this area home, gulf shrimp for instance are in their spawning season. One thing is certain; each oil spill is different, and we've never had anything of this scope to deal with in these waters. It's also a certainty that the damage that has washed up on shore, all the stuff we all see period, is just a very small fraction of the total. Unfortunately, this comes at a time when many folks down in the Gulf coast region were just getting back on their feet after Katrina's fury of five years ago, local fishermen among them.
SEAFOOD FOUND IN THE GULF
The U.S. Gulf coast is a rich breeding ground for fish, crabs, oysters and shrimp and accounts for about 20 percent of the nation's total commercial seafood production. The shrimp and oyster supply, in particular, is heavily concentrated in the Gulf. In 2008, commercial fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico harvested more than one billion pounds of fish and shellfish out of the total 8.3 billion pounds, according to government statistics. Here's a look at some of them:
Oysters are very likely to be affected by the oil slick that reaches the coast because they are immobile and cannot move to oil free areas. The Gulf of Mexico produces 67% of the nation’s total oysters, with Louisiana vastly dominating harvest and Texas, Mississippi and western Florida producing smaller but significant amounts. The affected portions of eastern Louisiana and Mississippi alone produce around half of the oysters consumed in the U.S. You will probably see availability tightening and prices going up, for good reason.
Shrimp are likely to be affected in the short term. During the spring and summer adult shrimp start to leave the salt marshes and move offshore to spawn.
This oil slick could affect both the adults (which would be harvested during this
year’s shrimp fishery) and their offspring (which would be harvested during next year’s shrimp fishery). The Gulf of Mexico produces about 73% of the U.S. harvested shrimp. Again, Louisiana dominates harvest with Texas at a close second. Alabama, Mississippi and western Florida produce smaller but still substantial amounts. The currently affected portions of eastern Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama produce about 20% of U.S. harvested shrimp. The state of Louisiana did open a special shrimp harvesting season in their state waters at the end of April to allow shrimpers to harvest some of the adult population of white shrimp before the oil slick neared shore.
Blue crabs are likely to be affected in the short term. Blue crab harvest occurs in primarily near shore waters with harvest typically peaking during the summer and spawning peaking during the fall. Most of the blue crab harvest occurs in Louisiana, which accounts for about 26% of U.S. caught blue crabs.
Adult snapper and grouper are less likely to be affected by the oil slick because they inhabit deeper waters. Unfortunately many snappers and groupers have begun or are about to being spawning throughout the late spring and summer months. Their larvae and juveniles tend to inhabit shallower and inshore waters, including salt marshes, bays and estuaries. These larvae and juveniles are more likely to be affected by oil, potentially negatively impacting the next few years of snapper and grouper reproduction.
Tunas and other migratory species are much less likely to be affected because they spawn much further from shore.
Page 1, 2