September 12, 2005

US fishing industries shut down in Gulf region

US fishing industries in the Gulf of Mexico have been shut down following the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, the country's government said. Affected areas included Florida State and up to the Texas border.

According to the government, fishing in the Gulf region has come to a standstill although the extent of damage to fishing industries there was not yet known. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said it would cooperate with local state authorities to assess damage to 15 major fishing ports there, and 177 seafood processing facilities in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana States.

Federal relief funds might also be provided following the government's assessment, to restore fisheries and help recovery efforts of fishing communities in the wake of the hurricane, the NOAA said.

Meanwhile, seafood processors in Virginia State had difficulties obtaining oyster supplies as a result of the hurricane, reports said.

Louisiana authorities said commercial and recreational seafood industries along the Gulf region were devastated by the hurricane, estimating economic losses could reach US$1.6 billion over the next 12 months.

However, the federal government said there were additional losses from damage to boats, processing plants and other equipment.

Industry experts have also expressed concerns that some commercial fishermen would leave the industry permanently, and that fresh domestic seafood would be replaced by cheaper imports in the long term.