[StBernard] LANDRIEU RENEWS CALL FOR BP TO ISSUE AID PACKAGE TO COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN

[Westley Annis]

Landrieu Renews Call For BP to Issue Aid Package to Commercial Fishermen 

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La., today renewed her call for
British Petroleum (BP) to provide financial support to commercial fishermen
in the Gulf who have been affected by the oil disaster.  Sen. Landrieu met
with BP Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward yesterday and encouraged the
company to offer immediate assistance to impacted businesses, which harvest
in the 23 percent of Gulf fisheries that have been closed by the spill.  

"Gulf Coast commercial fishermen are in desperate need of immediate and
direct assistance from BP," Sen. Landrieu said. "I have urged BP officials
to honor the fact that this unprecedented disaster has, at least
temporarily, put many of our fishermen, shrimpers and oystermen out of
business. What these fishermen need is a financial support package from BP
to help pay their bills and provide for their families, as we learn more
about the environmental damage caused by this oil spill.  I have every
reason to believe that BP is willing to step up and assist these families
and businesses, and that support must continue so long as their livelihoods
are being affected by this disaster." 

To date, only areas east of the Mississippi River are closed to fishing and
harvesting of seafood, which account for 23 percent of Gulf Coast fisheries'
seafood production. Despite the oil slick off Louisiana's coast, quality
Louisiana seafood is still readily available for consumers.

In 2008, commercial fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico harvested 1.27 million
pounds of finfish and shellfish and generated $659 million in revenue from
these harvests. Depending on the season, up to 40 percent of the nation's
commercial seafood harvest comes from the Gulf of Mexico. Louisiana seafood
is a $2.4 billion industry, and is responsible for more than 27,000 jobs. 

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