Expeditions:Oily Coast is Hurting Business

As the OFS team continues to explore communities on the Gulf, they are finding that, in these early stages, little is known about the ultimate consequences of the oil spill, so fear is playing a role that may be unnecessarily harmful.

Southern Louisiana is one of the sport fishing capitals of the U.S. and sports fishermen and charter boat captains have built a thriving business. In the midst of reports of doom and gloom, these are people with a passion for life on the marsh and a commitment to their environment. Their immediate challenge is NOT an oil soaked marsh, but the perception of spoiled seafood and a tainted environment.

Yesterday the team interviewed two charter boat captains, Dave and Brent Ballay from Venice Outdoors, whose trips have been cancelled due to the perception of doom even when vast areas still thrive and may escape the worst.

It is a reminder to us all to pay attention as this story evolves and not rush to judgment, We must, however, remember that the products we demand are irrevocably linked to environmental health and we have a duty to know the consequences and to choose wisely. If we don’t like the oil spill, we need to look to alternatives to oil.