Seafood is worth nearly two and a half billion dollars to the state. The spill comes shortly before the start of the fishing season for crab, shrimp and oysters. Louisiana is the nation's leading producer of shrimp, oysters, crabs, crawfish and alligators.
Louisiana is also one of the world's largest producers of what some call "the most important fish you've never heard of": menhaden. Menhaden and its oil are used in animal feed and other products.
Another important industry along the gulf is tourism. Coastal communities have been waiting and watching for days for oil to arrive on their shores.
Bad weather has interfered with efforts to send out boats to clean up the oil and watch for the effects on wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico. Bird populations are among those at risk of being poisoned by the oil. Bird rescue groups have set up stations. But they say finding injured birds in the huge spill and sending out boats to rescue them will be a difficult job.
And that’s the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Jerilyn Watson with Brian Wagner reporting from Louisiana. I’m Bob Doughty.
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2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25