Gulf Shrimpers Back on the Job

Though the blown-out well responsible for gushing countless tons of oil into the Gulf is nearly sealed, the fallout from the spill isn't over. On Monday, Louisiana shrimpers commenced their first seasonal foray into the Gulf's waters since the oil disaster, concerned over what their nets will bring in. Many fishermen worry that they will catch and potentially sell oily shrimp to an already skeptical and fearful American public. Though shrimp prices rose sharply immediately after the Deepwater Horizon explosion due to fears that they'd no longer be available, demand for shrimp plummeted soon after on fears that the catches would be contaminated—despite federal and state authorities declaring shrimp from the region safe. Said a local shrimper: "If you see oily shrimp, you got to throw them back over. Go somewhere else. It's all you can do. And you hope everyone else does the same."