Oil spill perceptions "killing" business for commercial fishermen

Tallahassee, Florida -- Florida fishermen say the perception that Gulf seafood is tainted with oil is killing their business right now.

Bob Jones of the Southeastern Fisheries Association is poring over maps and satellite images of the Gulf of Mexico now that the federal government has expanded the area of water closed to fishing.

About 20 percent of the Gulf is shut off to commercial fishermen from the Louisiana Coast to the western Panhandle and stretching south.

The oil is now about 185 miles off the coast of St. Petersburg and 85 miles from Pensacola.

Jones emphasizes the point that 80 percent of the Gulf is still open for fishing and unaffected by the spill.  He says commercial fishermen are focusing their work in areas about 100 miles from any oil so they can guarantee safe seafood.

But he concedes it's becoming tougher to convince restaurants and retailers in the North that the seafood is just fine.

"Restaurants in some of the bigger cities up north have taken red snapper off the menu just in an overabundance of caution and that has resulted in somewhat lower prices at some of the unloading facilities in the state and an excess of fish in the coolers."

Jones says state and federal food inspections are increasing to make sure seafood is safe.

"And in a situation like this after hurricanes or any disaster, the number of inspectors are increased and they go to places where seafood is being held and they monitor and make sure that it is safe before it's put on the market.  But the perception is killing us."

The no-fishing zone now spans more than 47,000 square miles in the Gulf.

Jones says fortunately the closures have been in very deep water so fishermen have been able to move around the spill so far.

But he adds they are at the mercy of the wind, currents and tides.