Oil Spill Sparks Concerns About Imported Seafood

Crisis might lead to more imports with limited oversight

27 May 2010

The oil spill in the Gulf could lead to more seafood imports.

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is looming over the seafood industry.

Prices are going up and the crisis could lead to more imported seafood in the coming months. But some people are questioning the safety of imported seafood.

Lasting impact

Tom Robey runs around like a mad man. Or maybe a mad scientist.

His laboratory is the kitchen. Robey is executive chef at Veranda on Highland in Birmingham, Alabama. His specialty is regional seafood: Louisiana crawfish, Florida crab, Alabama shrimp.

When the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded last month spewing oil into the Gulf, Robey shelled out nearly $3,000 dollars to stockpile 600 pounds of shrimp.

And it's a good thing, because officials closed some of the fishing grounds. It's not clear how extensive and long-term the damage to Gulf seafood will be.

VOA - S. BaragonaShrimp are among the Gulf of Mexico's best-known seafood. But 90 percent of the shrimp in the United States is imported.

Early tests don't show substantial chemical contamination, but monitoring might have to continue for decades. Meanwhile, industry officials expect a shortage of domestic seafood. And other countries are ready to fill the gap.