Fisherman: Sea Life Small or Non-Existent in BP Oil-Wrecked GulfLisa Garber Fishermens Livelihood at Risk Though many fishing seasons have reopened since 2011, many seafood docks report that production has been cut in half since the spill. Fishermen must travel farther to find water and sea life less affected by the spill. The guys that can go offshore make a living, but it is at a greater expense. They have to burn more fuel and be away from home. Local, smaller fishers, crabbers, and shrimpers are having less luck. We still have areas in the Barataria Basin that havent reopened to fishing since the spill. Clint Guidry, president of the Louisiana Shrimp Association refers to fishing statistics indicating that Gulf fishing has rebounded since the spill. Unless you look at a basin-specific data, especially in the areas impacted heavily by oil, youre not seeing the whole picture. These figures seem to paint a rosy picture. And its not. Highly Contaminated Sea Life Seafood continues to show very high contamination levels, though the Food and Drug Administration isnt batting an eye. Other government bodies, like the Environmental Protection Agency, are no friends of the general populace, either When Corexitan endocrine-disrupting dispersantwas used after the oil spill, the EPA misrepresented its toxicity, to the detriment of consumers and local fishermen alike (not to mention sea life). Here are some fish to eat: Be wary, too, of fresh water fish high in mercury. The most polluted areas according to a 2009 study were blackwater streams in Georgia, the Carolinas, Florida, and Louisiana. There, wooded wetlands enhance the conversion of mercury from its inorganic form in the atmosphere to a more toxic organic form. Brigham and Womens Hospital of the Harvard School of Public Health assistant professor Susan Korrick suggests consuming three to four servings of fatty, low-mercury seafood daily for optimum health. Such a diet has been shown to correlate with improved cognitive function. Additional Sources: This article first appeared at Natural Society, an excellent resource for health news and vaccine information. 