Part 2: Gulf Fishermen Finding Sick Fish, Few Crabs and Shrimp

“The captain with Northwest Florida University asked (over the VHF marine radio) for captains - who worked in the oil clean up and are coughing up blood, blowing blood out of their nose, and have skin rashes - not to speak to the media till after fishing season. No one wants to be responsible for scaring away tourist dollars.”

- Gulf Fisherman, Destin, Florida

Subject:  Sick fish in Gulf of Mexico
Date: May 29, 2011 7:13:58 PM MDT
To: Linda Moulton Howe <[email protected]>

“I run a deep sea fishing business in Destin, Fl. I have been professionally fishing the Gulf since 1998. I'm 42 and grew up fishing the Gulf. I came across your Earthfiles website while searching for info on the sick fish in the Gulf. I have been catching sick fish with lesions. Before now, I have caught tens of thousands of fish and have never thrown one back because of skin lesions.

I took the attached photo on today's fishing trip. This is the first fish of the trip (Amberjack.) We caught 5 more AJ's all with lesions. NOAA is stating a one in 1500 chance of catching a sick fish. Today May 29, my catch ratio was 100% sick fish. My last trip Fri. May 27 we caught 8 AJ's, 5 with lesions.

Sick Amberjack with lesions caught by Gulf fisherman off Destin, Florida, on May 29, 2011. Five more Amberjacks caught with this one all had lesions. Image provided by Destin fisherman.
Sick Amberjack with lesions caught by Gulf fisherman off Destin, Florida, on May 29, 2011. Five more Amberjacks caught with this one all had lesions. Image provided by Destin fisherman.

 

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