“Put it this way, Louisiana was not prepared for Hurricane Katrina, and we were not prepared for this oil leak either,” says Sal Sunseri, vice president of P & J Oysters – one of the oldest oyster processors and distributors in the region. Since 1876, the company has held private leases on over 130 natural oyster beds in the Louisiana marsh.
It’s a defining moment for a region whose economy is based on both the seafood and oil industries. The two have always been compatible, but now it’s apparent that they don’t really mix – much like oil and seawater.
Increased regulation of the oil industry is predicted. And like almost everyone who you speak with here, the source of Sunseri’s pain is the future. “That’s what I’m worried about,” he echoes. “It’s spawning season right now. This is a time when a lot of growth happens naturally.”
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board.
Photo by Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board