The impact of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is so vast that much of southeast Louisiana’s commercial fishing grounds off limits. The state government is now asking BP to finance a program that would offer fishers a 30 percent bonus for every pound of seafood brought to shore. The sources revealed that this program is designed to promote fishing in the areas that are open, but the plan has been met with growing skepticism by many of the fishers it intends to help.
But the sad part is that constant changes in openings and closures of fishing grounds because of oil sightings have made commercial fishing a gamble that no subsidy can truly address. The authorities have shut down nearly all commercial fishing grounds east of the river, except for Lake Pontchartrain, are shut down. Fishing grounds west of the river, all the way to Morgan City, are mostly closed as well.
Experts believe that the plan would benefit both fishers and BP by working to “return Louisiana’s commercial fishermen to the business of seafood harvesting, while at the same time reducing the dollar value of claims against BP by an amount far in excess of the program cost. As per information it is a $30 million investment by BP over three months, beginning in July. For every pound caught, a 30 percent bonus would be given to the boat captain and the fisher, plus a 5-cents-per-pound payment to the dock where the seafood is sold.
A BP spokesman said the company has not made any final decision about the proposal, but will not consider it until the well is capped. Harlon Pearce, chairman of the seafood promotion board and the owner of a wholesale seafood business in Kenner, said the program would guarantee a steadier supply of Louisiana product and address the concerns of fishers waiting on the sidelines of the spill.
