What The Gulf Oil Spill Means for the Foodservice Industry – Mushroom Clouds and Fish Soup.

A few weeks ago there was an environmental catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico that made the Exxon Valdez oil spill look like a few dark drops in a very large bucket. The BP deep-water oil rig explosion on April 20^th is being called America’s Chernobyl, not just because the extent of the consequent ecological damage is being estimated as the worst in human history, but also because the disaster has thoroughly exposed the corruption and rot at the core of the United States economy. On a smaller scale, the restaurant and food service industries are in for one heck of a bumpy ride

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Unfortunately, the worst part is that there is really no telling what the long-term effects of the spill will be. The seafood industry is already reeling, with a ten-day offshore fishing closure by federal officials, starting on May 2^nd. This covers Louisiana waters at the mouth of the Mississippi river to waters off Florida's Pensacola Bay. Chef John Besh, of Restaurant August and long-time Louisiana produce proponent, wrote in an article for The Atlantic, that he expects his supply of Gulf shrimp to be cut in half, that is, only if he’s lucky. Considering that, in 2009, Louisiana exported nearly 4.6 billion dollars worth of shrimp and oysters to Canada, there will probably be plenty of less lucky people.

Although Besh’s numbers may be a little on the pessimistic side, you should expect all seafood prices to skyrocket, no matter where they’re coming from.  Not necessarily because of a genuine lack of supply, but a perceived lack of supply will have prices jumping (P.E.I. oysters are already set to rise charges). Also, as Louisiana is a huge port, you can expect any produce that usually docks there to have to compensate for the added cost of docking elsewhere.

Additionally, be prepared to field questions regarding the safety of the shrimp, crab and oysters currently on your menu and in your house.  Remember, seafood that hit the market before the closure is perfectly safe to eat. Besides which, the waters west of the Mississippi River are still open and represent more than three-quarters of Louisiana seafood production. A great concern is the media misrepresenting the situation and convincing people to boycott seafood in general. Make sure you do your part to allay fears and maybe we can keep the nuclear fall-out from this Chernobyl under control.