The Pensacola News Journal notes:
Recreational fisherman Mark Fuqua, 47, of Pensacola, who has fished the waters from Destin to Pensacola most of his life, discovered just how big the mess is on the first day he struck out to drop a line in the water since the fishing ban was lifted two weeks ago.
After a day of fishing in several areas of the bay on Wednesday, his boat, anchor and cast net were covered in oil.
"I've never seen anything like it," he said. "I was fishing in front of Palafox Pier and pulled up my anchor, and it looked like it had black mud on it. I reached down to try to wipe it off and it was all greasy, like greasy sand."
The anchor was dropped in 20 feet of water.
[Scott Piggott, who heads the Escambia and Santa Rosa cleanup operation for BP] said the reports from fishermen about finding oil often are not reliable.
"I've heard accounts of people who hold up their anchors that have this black stuff on it," he said. "I can't tell you how many times we've gotten reports from fishermen with sightings of sheen and oil. Ninety-nine percent of the time, these reports turn out to be organic material."
Fuqua said Piggott's statement "sounds typical."
"BP is really counting on that out-of-sight, out-of-mind thing. It's there and they know it," he said. "They need to be exposed and made to do something about it."
Sure, and the oil plumes and dispersant which experienced scientists think they are finding in the Gulf are really just kelp, and the dead animals which people see are really just sleeping, and the rashes and breathing problems coastal residents exposed to the dispersant are suffering are really just allergies.
I think the fishermen ought to know what they are talking about. This is just so disturbing. I read another report yesterday about shrimpers in Mississippi finding oil; some of them have decided not to shrimp because they don't feel right selling it. How can we get the truth out there?
ReplyDeleteBP is telling the truth "Ninety-nine percent of the time, these reports turn out to be organic material." ....oil IS organic material...why does no one comment on the subterfuge?
ReplyDeleteHaul up a bucket of the stuff and have it analyzed by independent labs at universities that's how we get the info out there..I have Toxic (corexit?) rain damage on everything on my six acres and for miles and miles around..got pics.. It happened overnight one day green next day rain.. leaves fell off trees spots on everything, leaves crumpled and dying..I have walked these woods daily for years..never seen anything like it... I am a herbalist so I actually LOOK at the plants here..all of my wild herbs are dead or dying...got a local news crew reporting weird crop and plant damage that no one knows just what it is...and guess what?.. it all looks like my plant damage here..I collected leaves from all the different trees,ect that are damaged ..will find a lab...gonna take rainwater samples,ground soil samples,river samples and so on... if one wants proof..get a bucket full..it's not like it's gonna run out as a supply anytime soon. Blog it and document document document.tell your neighbors ,show your folks at work..tell it tell it tell it!
ReplyDeleteI'm mad as hell that our ocean life may not recover for untold years if ever I am mad as hell that those imbeciles at BP put that corexit mess in our environment for the cows to eat,for the crops to be contaminated from,for the wildlife to eat that many depend upon as a food source.. This will get into the groundwater and people will drink it. Your beloved pet will drink that toxic rain out of a puddle in the yard...,your child will walk in that toxic rain,or play in the rain-puddles when you are not looking. The herbs I depend on for wellness..I won't have this year..thank-God I have seeds.Gonna build me a greenhouse.. use well water..while that is no guarantee it's a start.If everybody documents then we can help each other and BP can't/won't be able to hide it..