[StBernard] Shrimp catches free of visible of oil in St. Bernard Parish

[Westley Annis]

Shrimp catches free of visible oil in St. Bernard Parish



The inshore fall shrimp season east and west of the Mississippi River,
except for some portions of Barataria Bay and the Chandeleur Sound, opened
Monday. Testing by the Food and Drug Administration and the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration found that finfish and shrimp from state
waters did not pose a human health risk. Local St. Bernard fishermen who
have been trawling since Monday say their catches have produced nice-sized
shrimp with no hints of oil on the shrimp.
 
Lindy Lebeouff, a long-time St. Bernard shrimper, came into dock with a
7,000-pound catch this afternoon. "Not bad for a two-and-a-half day trip,"
said Guy Guerra, Sr., owner of Yscloskey Seafood. Guerra said he was
concerned over the lack of fishermen taking their boats out during this
time. While Guerra has four shrimp boats trawling today, he would normally
have 40 to 50 boats in the water at the opening of shrimp season.
 
Robert Campo, co-owner of Campo's Marina in Shell Beach, voiced concerns
over the dispersants used during the oil spill to disperse the oil. Campo is
concerned that the dispersant may have affected the shrimp larvae, causing
problems for future shrimp seasons. "The tale will be told in the next two
years," Campo said.
 
The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality will be sending
representatives Thursday on boats to follow St. Bernard fishermen who are
trawling for shrimp. They will be looking for evidence of visible oil on the
shrimp that are caught. If oil residue is found, samples will be taken and
passed on to an environmental firm which is conducting testing on seafood.
 

St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro said he was glad the tests were
positive at the start of the shrimp season.

"While we are pleased that the catches were safe, the true story about the
Gulf seafood will be revealed as the juvenile seafood matures and whether
the current catch can support the pressure of an entire fleet fishing again.
I hope it can. We'll have to see."

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