Fish and Seafood: Is It Still Healthy To Eat?

Gulf Oil Spill Will Have a Major Impact on the Fish and Seafood Industry

The Gulf oil spill has been ongoing for several weeks now, and it is already having an impact on this country's fish and seafood industry. The federal government has banned fishing across 62,000 square miles of federal waters across the Gulf. That means that fish and seafood is becoming more scarce, and the prices for what is available is going up. Crab is up to $40 a bushel and shrimp has gone from $4.50 to $8.95 a pound. And that is just the beginning. Prices will continue to rise, in supermarkets, fish markets, and restaurants to try to offset the rising costs. Eating healthy fish and seafood will become much harder for the average middle-class American.

And just how healthy will the fish and seafood be in the months and years to come? People are already getting worried about contamination in the fish. How is it going to play out in the near and distant future?

So far, 26% of of federal waters is closed to fishing. Much of the Gulf of Mexico remains open, and the fish and seafood in those areas remain unaffected. And, the seafood that is on the market is safe. Environmental scientist Jeff Dauzat says officials are testing fish from across the state of Louisiana.
What they are testing for, he says, is hydrocarbons and other bacteria, but they would also like to expand on that and test for chemicals found in the dispersants they are using to break up the oil in the water.

All in all, it doesn't look good for the fish, the seafood, and the wildlife (and us) that depend on them for food. What we have available now is safe. It will become more difficult to enjoy a healthy fish dinner, though. What's in the contaminated water, and how quickly and thoroughly they can clean the mess from the water, will weigh heavily on the future of fish and seafood consumption. All we can do, for now, is stock up on what's available, and wait and hope officials know what they are doing.