The Lingering Effects of the BP Oil Spill

The rest of the world has long forgotten the disaster that tore through the states along the Gulf of Mexico. Its lingering effects can still be felt three years later. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, otherwise known as the BP oil spill, has left the states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana in recovery mode. The oil spill not only affected the ecology of these states, but also the economy. This tragic disaster claimed the lives of eleven men. It also disrupted the way of life for the numerous people employed by the seafood industry, and its consumers. The shrimping industry located in these states in the year 2006 accounted for “83% of the total US shrimp landings”, according to John Tunnell (2011). Based on the results of the survey I conducted in Biloxi, MS, along with research I have done, I have found that locally both consumers and businesses are more willing to support the local shrimp industry than they are to purchase imported shrimp. However, on a global scale consumers are still wary of eating shrimp caught anywhere on or near the Gulf Coast. The people residing on the Gulf Coast of the United States of America are a resilient group. They have endured three consecutive extraordinary catastrophes: Hurricane Katrina, the BP Oil Spill, and the Mississippi River Floods, and still somehow have continued to strive and continue their way of life. However, the shrimp industry took a huge hit after the BP Oil spill. According to Miriam Rotkin-Ellman, and Gina Solomon (2012) “during the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, > [greater than] 200 million gallons of oil poured into the Gulf of Mexico, followed by 1.8 million gallons of dispersants intended to break down the oil into droplets.” Due to this, many people speculated about the safety of the seafood bought from the gulf. The U.S Food and