In an interview with FoxNews.com, Deborah Long, spokeswoman for the Southern Shrimp Alliance, said the oil spill in the Gulf could have a “dramatic effect” on the shrimp industry’s ability to stay in business.  Louisiana is the No. 1 provider of shrimp, oysters, crab and crawfish in the United States, making up 33% of the seafood consumed in America. These shellfish add $2.4 billion a year to the state's economy, according to the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board.  What's more, if the slick is not contained, it could cost many jobs. The seafood industry accounts for 1 of every 70 jobs in Louisiana. Closure of the southern third of the Gulf behind the Breton and Chandeleur island chains ends trawling for white shrimp there, said Randy Pausina, a spokesman for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.  The federal government shut off commercial and recreational fishing from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle for a minimum of 10 days Sunday, because of seafood contamination concerns. 

The oil spill threatens oyster beds and shrimp breeding grounds in what president Obama calls a "potentially unprecedented natural disaster."  Crab, oyster, and fish prices have already gone up $4 a pound, and fish market owners claim that after they exhaust their current reserves, there will be no more seafood available for a couple of months to come, unless they turn to foreign waters.  According to Neil McMahon, an analyst at investment firm Bernstein, the Louisiana fishing industry may sustain $2.5 billion in losses and Florida may lose $3 billion in lost tourism.

With the new leak discovered on the sea floor, the immense damages that continue to take place in the Gulf will not come to an end anytime soon.   According to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, “this thing could keep going on for 90 days.”  President Obama visited the Gulf Coast on Sunday and Salazar and Homeland Security representative, Janet Napolitano spoke Sunday with the governors of Alabama, Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana.  Over 1,500 people are responding to the oil spill; a mix of British Petroleum officials and state and federal officials. They're using more than 100 vessels, including tugs and barges, along with aircrafts, vehicles and offshore drilling units.  It is with high hopes that with their combined efforts, the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe off the Gulf of Mexico will be contained in a timely manner.