The 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska and other spills have shown that closing fisheries harms not only fishermen but also tourism, boat parts manufacturers, markets and all related businesses.
"It creates total chaos in the local economy," Cousteau says. "It's not fair to the fishermen, it's not fair to families, it's not fair to kids and it's not fair to future generations."
It's been a month since the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded and collapsed, killing 11 of its crew and unleashing the oil leak that's gushed millions of gallons of crude oil into the Gulf. The people who rely on its waters to make a living knew it would be bad. But with swaths of the Gulf closed to fishing indefinitely and fears that consumers may not trust Gulf seafood for years, the fishermen and others are just starting to realize the scope of the devastation.
Broken, twisted strings of boom that failed to soak up the oil bob all around the oily marshlands near the South Pass of the Mississippi River. On a small sandy island southeast of the rivermouth, a dragonfly with oil-stained wings sits on a plant sagging under the weight of sticky ooze. Here, it smells like an old gas station.
Read the complete story at The Boston Globe.