Bluefin Larvae May Be Victims Of Gulf Gusher

Oil is on the surface, in the surf, and 300 feet down in areas of the Gulf of Mexico. Descriptions of BP's clean up effort range from inadequate to lame.

As one of only two blue fin tuna spawning grounds in the world, oil contamination in the Gulf of Mexico is likely to have an impact on tuna stocks.

The toxic oil spill and the chemicals used on it kill the eggs and larvae of all species, not just the blue fin tuna. The larva produced before he spill are out there, but the question is will they consume the oil.

Large Pelagics scientist Molly Lutcavage said, “the biomass has to be there, but we just don’t know where.” Whether the young tuna biomass is in, near, or distant from the spill is not known.

Larval studies, however limited, have been done. It is known they are there. And although they may have escaped exposure, the spill has spread, and may change their fate.

Lutcavage said commercial and recreational tuna fishermen should be concerned with what happens six years out. The spill has the potential to devastate a year class. It is also important to note that government and conservation groups may increase pressure for restrictions as a result of the oil spill.

Mature bluefin have acute sensors and they would likely avoid the oil. However, they do use all the water column to 3,000 feet. There oil and dispersant plumes are in the water column to 300+ feet. Whether this is effecting mature bluefin cannot be answered yet, said Lutcavage.

Bluefin leave the Gulf of Mexico in early June. Thee government has been monitoring fish for public safety.

Early on in the spill questions arose about whether the oil spill would get into the Gulf Stream. With the well still gushing oil and chemical dispersants still being sprayed more than 60 days into the disaster, it seems more likely oil will get into the Gulf Stream.

Oil in the Gulf Stream is of course bad news for east coast fisheries. But the gulf Stream veers off the east around Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Moving about 50 miles east of Georges Bank, the stream may spare the Gulf of Maine.

Bluefin use the edge of the Gulf Stream when in transit from the Gulf of Mexico to Canadian waters. Evaporation, currents, etc., may effect the concentrations of these toxins by the time they reach northern waters. New Brunswick, Canada has concerns about the oil reaching their waters which are closer to the Gulf Stream.

What was not done by the Minerals Management Service (MMS) on leasing the Horizon site is what some have called amazing. The MMS was responsible for environmental impact statements and NOAA was deferring to the MMS – an inappropriate arrangement. These oil leases are the leasing of rights and property of the American people.

The revenue from these leases are a major source of revenue for the U.S. Treasury. At least they would be if the MMS was collecting the royalties on these leases, which they were not.

Rich Ruais, Director of the East Coast Tuna Association, and the Blue Water Association said, there are now tar balls in Cuba, Key West, and the East coast of Florida. Although the Gulf Stream swings easterly around Cape Hatteras and heads toward Iceland, once there it then makes a U turn and moves south toward the Mediterranean (The other bluefin tuna spawning ground), to the Islands off West Africa, and then turns toward the Caribbean again.

Ruais said, “that BP, before going to Haliburton and the Department of the Interior, went to Dick Cheney to get at oil 7,000 feet below the bottom. To expedite the process there was no environmental impact statement. Cheney went to the Department of the Interior for an exemption for BP.”

The impact of the oil spill on Gulf fishermen is difficult to understate. The Gulf’s 1 billion pound annual catch is worth $700 million dollars. It is the foundation of the livelihoods and culture of the Gulf coast. More than 70% of the domestic shrimp and 67% of the domestic oysters come from the Gulf of Mexico. About 32% of the fishery is closed, with closed and open areas changing regularly, said Brenda Cufone of Food and Water Watch. said, “The well is still gushing. All attempts to stop it have failed. The federal government is responsible for permitting. They are stewards for the rest of us with this public resource. Due diligence was required, but they have failed miserably.” Cufone said

Cufone went on to say that the chemical dispersant, Corexit, was worse that the oil. It is known to cause problems in shrimp and shellfish. There was also concern about how Corexit was chosen, since it is produced by a company closely linked to BP. One Corexit executive was a BP board member for 11 years. This combined with the fact that there were less toxic options available has raised more questions about BP’s handling of this disaster.

The result of these failures will impact “many people for many years to come,” Cufone said.