One By One, New Orleans' Fish Dealers Closing Up Shop - AFP

The fast-encroaching oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico is forcing fish merchants to close one by one in Louisiana's huge Westwego seafood market. "I'm closed because I couldn't get any crabs," said Michelle Chauncey, who pulled down her stall's rolling metal door on Friday.

Along the Westbank Expressway that follows the Mississippi River, a succession of 26 seafood stalls forms the "shrimp lot" market. These small wooden stores usually offer an assortment of fish, crabs and shrimp every single day of the week. But six stores have already closed their doors over the past 10 days.

"I really don't know what we are going to do. I prepare for the worst, I hope the best," said Chauncey, 41, as she roamed in front of "The Crab Shack," her yellow stall mounted with a giant blue crab. "It's not just us; it's going to be a domino, it's everybody." Her supplier, who usually has 35 fishermen, now only relies on six. The rest are working for BP, which operated the sunken Deepwater Horizon rig that drilled a now blown out well gushing crude into the Gulf.

Chauncey lives in Grand Isle, where the oil washed ashore on Thursday. "Nobody wants to trust that seafood is safe," explained the mother of two as she pointed to the large, and now deserted, parking lot where merchants, cooks and customers usually gather.

EDIT

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Fish_merchants_close_one_by_one_in_New_Orleans_999.html

She is now awaiting compensation from BP for her loss of income.

"In the beginning, they were giving a lot of money," said Chauncey. "Now, it's different."

A little further down the road, Mary-Ann Guidroz still has a few pounds of shrimp to sell.

"On Wednesday or Thursday, I will have no more shrimp. Do you have a job for me?" she asked, bursting out laughing.

Horribly sad.

realizing this may be the last time for who knows how long that I am willing to trust shellfish even way up here in the North Atlantic. I may soon be eating only frozen or canned fish from other oceans not yet affected.

There are not enough tears to shed for the residents of Louisiana.

not in my lifetime. This will move beyond the Gulf and into the upward currents and even the Gulf Stream. The hideously toxic crude oil and the equally hideously toxic "dispersants" will destroy entire swathes of the oceanic ecosystem. The marine world in many places on this planet is already over-fished, over-stressed and perched dangerously on the precipice. This "spill," "leak" or whatever marginalizing term you wish to use, will profoundly affect anything and everything tied to the marine world. And guess what? This is the blue planet. This is the water world. This is a tragedy of unspeakable proportions.

To the politicians, including President Barrack Obama: at least tell the fucking truth, and quite trying to protect the corporate interests that own you. Yes, Barrack Obama, OWN YOU! In your brief tenure as a member of Congress, you were among the top 10% of politicians that received money from the Petroleum Mafia. Your actions limiting full and accurate information reaching the American public during this ecological crisis have been no less than criminal. And you are not alone. It is almost impossible to find an American politician at the national level that has NOT taken bribes, funds, contributions from the Texas-American Petroleum Mafia.

And finally, to the DU member that so fucking rudely insulted DU member nadinbrezinski when she posted that her fishmonger said that this would affect all fish prices even on the West coast: Fuck you! Unfortunately, you will live to eat your words. And unfortunately, we all will be in the same boat. You could man up and apologize for your gross and inconsiderate misconduct on this website, but I am not holding my breath.

She doesn't seem to have considered the job losses due to oil drilling. Or maybe she only thinks BP's jobs are worth considering?