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The Gulf oil spill has already dramatically changed Louisiana seafood. Many local residents and purveyors have responded by stockpiling oysters and shrimp while, nationally, many are avoiding Louisiana seafood out of fear of contamination, despite repeated insistence by local officials and journalists that any seafood that makes it to market is safe to eat. No one knows for sure just how severe and long-lasting the spill's impact will be on the local seafood industry, but for now, at least, the seafood vendors at the Crescent City Farmer's Market at Uptown Square are surviving.
Clara Gerica of Pete and Clara's Seafood said that her company is getting by due to the loyalty of its customers, but that demand for her shrimp, black drum and other fish has dropped slightly since the spill. Her company is still able to bring fresh seafood to the market every week because they are fishing in Lake Pontchartrain. "Our biggest problem right now is the increase in the number of fishermen on Lake Pontchartrain [since the spill]," she said. "There's a lot of competition." Though she's getting by for now, Clara worries about how the spill will affect white shrimp season, which begins in early August.
The uncertainty created by the spill is a theme echoed by the other seafood vendors at the Uptown Market. Kay Brandhurst of Four Winds Seafood said she has also seen demand drop for her shrimp and fish. "The hoarding is over with," she said. "People seemed to have calmed down about buying enough seafood to store." Like Gerica, Brandhurst said her company has been fishing in Lake Pontchartrain, but, as for the future, she fears she may no longer be able to sell the large shrimp that are unique to the Gulf.
Jeanie Franseca of Des Allemands Outlaw Catfish Company said she has no way to tell if the spill will eventually lead to the closure of her business. "We just hope," she said. "We're just hoping we'll survive." Franseca said that the amount of catfish she can bring to market (catfish is the product for which the company is known) has already dwindled, not due to environmental conditions, but because her two sons, who serve as her chief fishermen, are now out on boats working to clean up the spill. Because she harvests crabs living in inland estuaries, her supply of soft shell crabs continues to remain strong. But, during the winter, the crabs migrate further towards the shores of the Gulf to breed, and Franseca fears this could lead to a diminished supply next year.
With so much unknown about the future of the Louisiana seafood business, you can make a difference by supporting local seafood fishermen and vendors. Be sure to stop by the Crescent City markets on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
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