Due to the rapid spread of oil in the Gulf of Mexico, the state of Louisiana has decided to close the southwestern portion of Barataria Bay to all fishing activity. Barataria Bay was shut down in two orders issued about four hours apart. Robert Barham, chief of The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, said that the closure was due to the actual presence of oil. Barham also said, "we did not expect that oil to come inside Barataria Bay." "Oil came in, and we found it in multiple locations." Following the first report of oil exposure, the LDWF closed the southeastern portion of bay, only to be quickly followed y the closure of the rest of the bay. "Generally for about seven days we monitor the presence or absence of oil," Barham explained. "After that seven days, we send biologists out to find the presence of oil, and if they don't find any, the area is reopened."

Although seven days is an ideal amount of time for the area to be closed to the fishmen of Barataria Bay, it isn't realistic according to scientists and the LDWF. The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon revealed an industry ill-prepared to deal with a catastrophe of this magnitude, which in this case is referred to as a "black-swan event." A "black-swan event," is a low-probability, high-risk event. Many are asking how British Petroleum has moved into deep water without a set of proven remediation tools in case of a disaster, such as the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon.

Lisa Jackson, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said in a meeting with Congress, "the one thing I have taken away so far is that the ability to get this oil out of the ground has far surpassed our ability to respond to the worst-case scenario." As America has participated in off-shore drilling for years at this depth, it comes as a surprise that BP is at a loss for solutions to this growing problem.