Safety of Gulf Seafood
Environment, Health
June 30th, 2010
Reports of diners turning up their noses at Gulf seafood keep cropping up.
A recent study found that 89% of respondents were somewhat concerned about the potential effect of the spill on the safety of Gulf seafood. Forty-four percent said they would only eat seafood that they know doesn’t come from the Gulf.
And Slow Food USA’s blog has been the home of a heated debate on the issue of Gulf seafood. On one side, people are advocating for continued consumption of seafood from the Gulf to support the fishermen whose livelihoods are threatened by the Gulf gusher. On the other are individuals raising concerns about eating seafood tainted with oil or Corexit–the dispersant being sprayed over Gulf waters.
While the long-term impact of the dispersants and gushing oil on Gulf seafood is unknown, we know that all eyes are on the Gulf seafood industry and multiple layers of precaution have been put in place to keep contaminated seafood out of the marketplace.
The first line of defense is shutting down areas that are known to be, or likely to be, exposed to oil. So far NOAA Fisheries Service (the federal agency responsible for federal fishing regulations) has shut down about 30% of the Gulf to fishing. The waters of the Gulf are continuously monitored and the closed area continues to be updated. Click here to see the latest map of the closure area.
A second line of defense against contaminated seafood is a multiagency protocol for testing seafood from the Gulf. NOAA, the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency. Seafood caught outside of the closed areas is tested using sensory and chemical analysis to detect oil and dispersants. Click here to read more about the testing process straight from the FDA.
As one purveyor of Gulf seafoods said “I put in the good, the bad and the ugly, so the chefs could understand what was happening.” Expect the same from your purveyor–ask about where exactly the seafood’s coming from, and the latest news from NOAA on area closures. And be sure to share information with your waitstaff and customers. Your transparency will contribute to informed decisions that all parties can feel good about.
The state of Louisiana seafood is in constant flux and information must be updated daily–Almost hourly depending on natural and man made factors. Everyone should be smart about this situation as possible and provide others with up to date and honest information. There are many many facts to understand but the bottom line today is that ALL of the Lousiana seafood thats in the market and is being served in restaurants and groceries is wholesome and pristine. There are at least 4 government agencies on the water daily taking water, sediment, tissue and air quality samples everyday !!! It’s our duty as chefs and consumers to take care of the hard working fishermen that are still fishing and not collecting a BP paycheck. If we lose them now, we’ll lose our seafood not just for 5, 10, 20 years but for generations after the waters are all clean again. If you need more info you can contact me personally down here at ground zero in New Orleans–