Mobile Baykeeper Says BP Spill Could Destroy Most Productive Fishery in the World

MOBILE, Ala., April 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has the potential to destroy the most productive fishery in the world, according to Mobile Baykeeper, the largest environmental advocate in the Gulf Coast.  At the same time, Mobile Baykeeper is calling on the government to demand transparency, monitoring and caution in implementing crisis clean-up solutions that could make the situation worse, such as controlled burns and chemical dispersants.

The region that spans from the Mobile Bay Estuary all the way to Galveston Bay is the most productive fishery in the world, with 69% of all domestic shrimp and 70% of all domestic oysters at stake.  As it becomes clear that the BP spill may exceed the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, Mobile Baykeeper, an Alabama-based organization that works across the Gulf coast and a member of Waterkeeper Alliance, is calling on the government to put all available state and national resources to work to contain the damage before it's too late.  

"BP should have been required to have a plan to contain a catastrophic spill like the one we've witnessed," said Casi Callaway, Executive Director of Mobile Baykeeper.  "This ongoing hemorrhage of oil could continue over the next several months.  Clearly, whatever containment plan BP had in place, if they had one at all, has failed the Gulf of Mexico and all those who benefit from its pristine waters and wildlife."  

The Gulf of Mexico and its surrounding bays, inlets and estuaries are some of the most fertile breeding grounds in the world, with its U.S. coastline reaching from Florida to Texas.  It is a highly productive economic region with industries related to fishing, agriculture and tourism, all of which could be affected by this disaster.  The marshlands and estuaries located throughout the Gulf Coast provide important breeding grounds and nurseries for the fishing and shrimping industries.  In 2008, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service, the commercial fish and shellfish harvest from the five U.S. Gulf states was estimated to be 1.3 billion pounds valued at $661 million.  As of 2004, seven of the top ten busiest ports in the United States were located along the Gulf Coast as well.  The discovery of oil and gas deposits along the coast and offshore has made it the heart of the U.S. petrochemical industry, with nearly 4000 oil platforms.  

In addition:

• The Gulf of Mexico is the sixth largest economy in the world.
• Area Business and jobs related to tourism equal $20 billion annually.
• 52% of all crude oil and 54% of the nation's gas are produced in the Gulf.
• It produces $29 million dollars annually in agricultural crops and livestock.

Beyond the concerns over the affects of the initial spill, there are now fears that the clean-up plan may cause even more severe environmental impacts to the area.  Burning the oil at sea leads to questions over air quality and the difficulty of cleaning up the oil that remains.  Dispersant causes the oil slick to break up into smaller portions in the water column and/or sink the oil and add a new toxic pollutant to the massive problem.  Although this may keep the oil from reaching shore in a major slick, this method leads to more harm to aquatic life, essentially hiding the problem from sight while risking a loss to the base of the food chain.  

ABOUT MOBILE BAYKEEPER

Mobile Baykeeper was founded in 1997 to protect these vital resources, and became a member of the international organization, Waterkeeper Alliance in 1999.  As a well known environmental organization in the Gulf coast region, Mobile Baykeeper boasts over 4000 members and works on all environmental issues in the watershed that impact public health.  In addition to helping the community deal with individual environmental concerns, Mobile Baykeeper works on local, regional, and national issues.  One of its biggest successes to date has been in preventing an onshore or open loop LNG facility from entering the Mobile Bay area. In addition, Mobile Baykeeper has completed a Water Quality Monitoring Database, is a founding member of the Mobile County Air Quality Study, and helped found the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) Reform Coalition.  

Mobile Baykeeper will continue to closely monitor this disaster and its devastating impacts to our area with updates on the spill and any volunteer efforts required at its website at www.mobilebaykeeper.org.  

SOURCE Mobile Baykeeper