Acadiana's News Leader BP May Give La. Shrimpers Help

BP May Give La. Shrimpers Help

For the past year and a half, the Delcambre seafood industry has not been the same. For those whose livelihoods depend on the shrimping industry, getting BP compensation has been a tougher sell. It's been 18-months since the oil disaster, but the aftermath has left countless fishermen struggling. Following an announcement by BP fund administrator, Kenneth Feinberg, relief may be in sight. Feinberg said new rules are in the works to give shrimpers a helping hand. And new rules may work for one Delcambre shrimping plant, Ocean Harvest Wholesale. The manager of the plant, Ruth Pitre said when they applied for compensation, they were turned down because of restrictive rules that she feels was not applicable to the plant's situation. She said, "This plant right here didn't collect a penny because they said we should have closed our doors. We should have closed our doors? My boss said ‘lay off employees?' It didn't make sense."

Delcambre residents have had a tough time accepting what's happened to their community. Fisherman James Cheramie said, "This industry is shot. You can look around you. You don't see no more vessels. It's finished." State Representative Jeff Landry was in Washington yesterday, calling on Feinberg to step up to the plate. "That's a promise he made to myself and other members of the natural resources committee," said Landry. "That in the next couple of weeks, they would be implementing changes that would be giving relief to our shrimping industry in Louisiana."

The new compensation rules are supposed to be announced within the next two weeks.

Caroline Balchunas