Officials urge fishermen to study fish in open waters

With oil widespread across the Gulf of Mexico’s waters, it’s inevitable some of our area’s millions of fish will come in contact with the spill’s leavings.

Fish moving in schools may encounter both crude and dispersant in their migration, as they swim through closed areas before re-entering areas that are currently open.

That in-and-out cycle can become problematic for fishermen who might catch a fish in an open area not knowing where the fish has been.

That’s why the LDWF is urging all fishermen to throw back any fish that might have a suspicious color or smell – an occurrence that has been reported by fishermen in the Tri-parish area.

“It’s very important they put the fish back in the water, and report to us the area they are fishing,” said Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Press Secretary Bo Boehringer. “Most boats have their GPS devices, so we’d urge them to give us the most tight locations that they can based on where they are. The people you report this to need that … They need to know the precise location, otherwise we’re going to be dealing with landmarks … and that makes it more difficult to pinpoint the location.”

Oil is the most easily seen of the toxins polluting the water and wildlife, because of its rich, black color.

Dispersant, that’s a different story.

The antifreeze-like liquid blends seamlessly into water and will be difficult to detect on fish – an obvious problem for fishermen who may catch a fish with dispersant on its skin or in its gills.

“Our department has had a pretty major problem with that from the get-go,” Boehringer said. “You just can’t see it, that’s the problem. I don’t know if the average, run of the mill fisherman will be able to look at a fish, even pulled out of perfectly clear water with no oil, and determine that there is dispersant on the fish … That’s a tough one.”

Fishermen in the Tri-parish area have reported catching fish with a mysterious, anti-freeze-like odor, or a slight discoloration in their catches.

The uncertainty about the dispersant, even moreso than the oil itself, is what has some fishermen calling the cleanup methods the “crisis inside the crisis.”

“What’s that stuff going to do to the water quality when it settles to the bottom?” said Bobby Terrebonne with Gotcha Fishing Charters. “That’s a pretty big question that will play a big role in determining if things ever get back to normal.”

Marvin Catrett, owner of Evolution Marine in Houma agreed and said he doesn’t approve of the methods BP are taking to clean the spill.

“You’d almost rather see them just keep allowing the stuff to come on up,” Catrett said. “Because at least we know where it will be – on the top. This other stuff, I don’t know if anyone knows how to deal with it, or where it’s going to go.”

To combat the potential risks involved with coming in contact with fish that may be poisoned by oil or dispersants, Boehringer said the LDWF is very conservative in the restrictions on fishing areas.

Some areas that may be completely oil-free might still be closed to fishing just because of their proximity to an area where oil is reported.

The reason for that is caution.

Coming into contact with oil or dispersant is not easy on the skin, and it is still not known whether fish with the poison in their system might be toxic to humans who cook and eat them.

“There’s a serious handling problem,” Boehringer said. “Like you see all of those guys on the beach cleaning in their cleaning suits and rubber gloves … They are wearing that for a reason. There is no reason to be handling oiled fish. On the dispersant side, if it smells like anti-freeze and it’s covered in dispersant, you don’t want to handle that either. Don’t put that in your ice chest or in your boat … It will do more harm than good. Just put that fish back in the water.”

The number to report a fishing area where oiled or strange fish were caught is 1-866-557-1401.

Attempts to reach the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals to determine whether dispersant can be dissolved out of a fish’s system by cooking were unsuccessful.