Gulf-Coast Fishermen Fear for Their Livelihood. By Kate Howell, Greenwire, May 3, 2010. "Louisiana's coastal wetlands support a $2.4 billion fishing industry by providing breeding areas and nurseries for fish, crabs and shrimp. They also set the table for migrating waterfowl and other birds. The spill is likely to affect this and the next generation of wildlife because it is spawning season, and oil kills fish larvae. It is being seen as an ecological disaster. It is an economic catastrophe, too. Shrimpers have been waiting through the long months of one of the toughest winters on record for their harvest to begin this month. In the past few weeks, they have been pouring money into boats and equipment for a season that usually starts in mid-May and lasts through summer...
"Fishermen and boat captains crowded onto narrow bleachers and rows of folding chairs on April 30 in the gym of the Boothville-Venice School... as Vince Mitchell of O'Brien's Response Management, hired by BP to run its vessel opportunity program, explained a payment and fuel-reimbursement plan. Boats larger than 45 feet will earn $2,000 a day, he said, while those between 30 and 45 feet will earn $1,500 a day and those smaller than 30 feet will earn $1,200 a day... Many were skeptical about signing papers that Mitchell and BP offered at the end of the program, saying they were afraid of not grasping all the nuances of the contract language... not signing the contract because [they] did not want to be shut out of potential future claims for loss of livelihood... But others signed... One said, 'These chemicals are toxic, and we're not thrilled to go out there with it, but we may not have a choice... This is nasty-looking stuff. I don't want to mess up my boat -- I just painted it. The last thing I want to do is to tear my equipment up.' But, he added, 'Who else knows these wetlands better than us?'"
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