by Judith Willson

Created on: May 11, 2010   Last Updated: May 14, 2010

It is hardly surprising that the impact of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on the seafood industry has been and will be devastating.   The immediate effects are obvious, with wildlife dying and beaches becoming covered in oil.   There could be worse to come as the aftermath of oil spills is long term pressure on an already struggling ecosystem.  Some industries may be forced to close altogether.

The fishing industry, commercial and recreational, in the Gulf of Mexico is (or rather, was) enormous and a huge number of people are employed directly or indirectly in this area.  There are oyster beds, shrimps, game fish and commercial fish.  Many people are anticipating an end to making their livings from seafood, at least in the near future. 

One immediate response to the spill was a suspension of all fishing.  The oil is toxic, suffocates fish, destroys their eggs and kills off food supplies.  A massive clean up and dispersal operation also went under way, which may, in fact, lead to later problems of its own. 

Attempts to disperse the oil have risks, which could have further long-term implications for the fishing industry.  The dispersants that are used break up the slick and allow bacteria to actually consume some of the oil.  Unfortunately these chemicals are toxic in their own right and could seriously damage fish stocks for years to come. 

While certain species can physically avoid the expanding oil slick and dispersants, many cannot.  It might not even matter if they can.  A clam for example might be able to seal itself up but it will die anyway if there is no food for it. 

Oil affects all sea life but especially vulnerable are the smallest organisms.  These are arguably the most important.  The ocean ecosystem is an intricate one and life is interdependent. It just needs one group of organisms, such as algae or plankton, to be nearly wiped out for the entire food web to be affected.  If for example the food source for tuna dies then so will the tuna.  And if the tuna go then the tuna fishing industry goes.   

Because of this complexity it is impossible to predict exactly what the situation will be five or ten years from now.   We know from previous spillages that the ocean ecosystems, and hence the seafood industries, still suffer from after effects many years after the oil was dispersed.  On the other hand the ocean can surprise us and recover quicker than seemed possible.  

BP may have recovered from this public relations nightmare in a few years, or even months from now..  Today’s disaster is yesterday’s blip in the eyes of many.   The seafood industry in other areas may actually benefit from reduced supply and resultant price increases.  However it is not just fish in the Gulf of Mexico affected.  The impact will be felt in places nowhere near the oil given the complex ocean food web and the migratory habits of commerical fish stocks. 

What exactly the future holds remains to be seen, but for those whose livihoods depended on the seafood industry in the Gulf of Mexico things do not look too good.

Sources – these also provide updates:

http://www.guardian.co.uk 

http://www.businessweek.com 

http://news.bbc.co.uk

 ttp://www.telegraph.co.uk

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