There are always fluctuations in catches, often exaggerated by fishers as they exchange tall tales. Two years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Louisiana crab and shrimpers are complaining about dire drops in yields. But these aren’t old fishermen tales. Their complaints are backed by data.
The Barataria estuary, close to the site of the Deepwater Horizon, was particularly hard hit. In addition to Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi fishing areas have experienced significant drops in shrimp and crab yields. Florida has been less affected with no major drops in harvests of oysters, crabs and shrimp.
With prices higher, these lower yields might not be immediately worrisome, although they evidence significant damage to the ecology of the Gulf of Mexico.
A significant portion of the $4 billion in penalties that BP pays to the federal government in settlement of its criminal action is targeted at restoration and research. About $2.4 billion of those penalties are slated to fund a new foundation to oversee the restoration of the Gulf of Mexico, with another $350 million to the National Academy of Sciences to learn more about how oil spills affect the environment.
Under the new BP settlement and claims process, it’s time to assess whether you sustained losses from the oil spill.
Here’s what to do: complete our BP Oil Spill Overview Worksheet and send it to our office via email, fax or mail. We can let you know in a day or two if you have a claim. If you do, we will do all the rest. You could be receiving payment within 60–90 days from the time we submit your claim.
This isn’t a handout. This is justice.
