Tarpon Springs, Fla.—U.S. shrimpers are contracting with BP to provide services during the comprehensive response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Shrimp vessels are being used to deploy booms in the Gulf of Mexico.
“The Southern Shrimp Alliance encourages vessel owners to contact BP response coordinators for information on how you can use your vessel to assist in efforts to contain the oil spill that threatens to harm our livelihoods,” said John Williams, Executive Director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. “The U.S. shrimp industry has a long history of coordinating with federal and state governments and third parties in response to disasters. Our response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill is no different.”
The response contractors for this program are already collecting information on vessels. Directions and training will be provided and determined by area response plans based on priority level. Current staging areas for the program are Venice, LA; Mobile, AL; Biloxi, MS; Pascagoula, MS; and Pensacola, FL.
Shrimp boats already engaged with BP will be facing rough waters as they head out on Saturday morning.
The most recent news on the oil spill from the can be found at www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com. The Southern Shrimp Alliance will continue to provide information on the impact to the fishery as it becomes available.
SSA is an alliance of the U.S. warmwater wild shrimp fishery from eight states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. For more information on the SSA, please visit shrimpalliance.com.