How Oil Spills Affect Fishing in the Gulf Of Mexico

The Gulf Of Mexico is countable for about 20 percent of the nations total commercial seafood production. (http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6412DN20100503) On May 2nd US officials banned fishing in large waters due to the oil spill on the Gulf. The affected waters, which span the coastlines of four states, are largely between the mouth of the Mississippi River in Louisiana and Florida's Pensacola Bay, the NOAA said. The ban took immediate effect and was in place for at least 10 days. According the recent report done by the US scientists, they estimated that the BP oil spill incident in the Gulf of Mexico is the biggest oil disaster in the world, over 174 million gallons have been split. The gulf is a rich breeding ground for oysters, shrimp, fish and crabs. The oil spill has badly affected the ecosystem of the Gulf and many people have been suffering from financial difficulties. This unfortunate incident has actually brought a lot of negative impacts to the global economy. Fishermen who live on the Coast rely on fishing to supply them with money and gives them a living. When disasters like this happen and certain waters are closed, that dramatically hurts the fisherman. Gulf fishing and tourism industries produced an average annual income of $3.5-$4.5 billion for the past few years. Right after the oil spill incident, the annual income for the year of 2010 has been reduced dramatically. (http://www.backinjurycompensation.org/how-will-the-bp-oil-spill-affect-the-economy-in-the-near-future-what-does-it-mean-to-the-average-joe.html)
Once the oil spills contaminate the water and the fish. Fish require oxygenated air in order to breathe. As oil penetrates the water, fish lose the ability to filter oxygen from the water and suffocate. Additionally, as fish consume the oil, it poisons them. How are fishers supposed to make a living when all the fish they catch are poisoned. The fishing industry is considered “dead” at the moment because nobody dares to eat seafood in the Gulf region.

The Effects of Wrong Fishing Methods

The last 50 years have seen rapid and major changes in the development of the fishing industry. The improvement and variation of boats and fishing equipment have increased fishing capacity and efficiency and had affected the working conditions. The lives of fishermen were involved as well. Fishing has been a big deal, for a long time now. Not only does it provide us food but it's fishermans lives. They depend on the fish to keep a living. If they don't catch fish in their traps, or have a bad week they blame it on others, but what if the problem was the way they were fishing. Maybe their methods weren't good enough.
        Fishermen use a wide range of gear to land their catch. Every type has its own effects on the ocean. By selecting the right gear for the right job, the fishing industry can help minimize its impact on the environment.
If their was only one way to fish, that wouldn't be fun or reliable. Everyone has different techniques they think are more adequate than others.

1. Pole/troll fishermen use a fishing pole and bait to target a variety of fish, ranging from open ocean swimmers, like tuna and mahi mahi, to bottom dwellers, like cod. 

2. Purse seining establishes a large wall of netting to encircle schools of fish. Fishermen pull the bottom of the netting closed—like a drawstring purse—to herd fish into the center.

3. Harpooning is a traditional method for catching large fish—and it's still used today by skilled fishermen. When a harpooner spots a fish, he thrusts or shoots a long aluminum or wooden harpoon into the animal and hauls it aboard. 

4. Traps and pots are submerged wire or wood cages that attract fish with bait and hold them alive until fishermen return to haul in the catch. Traps and pots are usually placed on the ocean bottom, often to catch lobsters, crabs, shrimp, sablefish and Pacific cod.

http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_gear.aspx