I received a text from my mom Friday night, "You should see it Francesca, it is as if a hurricane has hit. Except instead of everyone stocking up on batteries and nonperishable foods it is everyone stocking up on seafood before we go through a drought." The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has affected my city's prized source of food. The Gulf is a huge supplier for shrimp, crabs, oysters, swordfish, shark, red snapper, menhaden, mackerel, mullet, amberjack, tilefish and grouper. Not only for the Big Easy but for the rest of the country. The thought of going home in a week to having a shortage of my favorite crawfish etoufee, crabmeat cocktail, and shrimp Creole is a terrifying thought. New Orleans is famous for its unique and signature dishes. If we take away these foods the city will be missing a vital part of its charm.
Beyond the damage of New Orleans dinner tables, there is the serious possibility that this oil spill could hurt the fragile estuaries and wetlands that the creatures in the Gulf depend on. After Katrina the ecosystem has been suffering, and this oil spill does not help in its recovery. I wonder if the rest of the country realizes how important the Gulf is to the economy of the nation as a whole. The New York Times reported, "the Gulf of Mexico produced nearly three-fourths of the shrimp harvested in the United States in 2008, some 188.3 million pounds worth $130.6 million wholesale. Not only is Louisiana’s fishing industry a $3 billion sector of the state’s economy". It is important for us to protect these lands. Not only does the Gulf provide a wonderful spice to our foods, it also is a huge source of money for our country.
