May 25, 2010
US declares fishery disaster in three Gulf of Mexico states
US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke determined there has been a fishery disaster in the Gulf of Mexico due to the economic impact on commercial and recreational fisheries from the ongoing Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
The affected area includes the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
"We are taking this action today because of the potentially significant economic hardship this spill may cause fishermen and the businesses and communities that depend on those fisheries," Locke said in a statement.
"The disaster determination will help ensure that the Federal government is in a position to mobilise the full range of assistance that fishermen and fishing communities may need," he said.
The declaration was made in response to requests from Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour based on the loss of access to many commercial fisheries and the existing and anticipated environmental damage from this unprecedented event.
Commercial fishermen in the Gulf harvested more than one billion pounds of fish and shellfish in 2008. In addition, there are approximately 5.7 million recreational fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico region who took 25 million fishing trips in 2008.
