The fall inshore shrimp season began this week, but 30% ofLouisiana’s waters are still closed to shrimping because the seafood hasbeen exposed to oil for an extended period after the Gulf oil disaster.
The Pelican State is the No.1 domestic shrimp producer with 2009landings of more than 100 million pounds with dockside value of nearly$120 million. According to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife andFisheries, the areas will remain closed for a prolonged period of time.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (orNOAA), just one fish, a red snapper, has tested positive for oil since thestart of the spill in April. Since the end of April, NOAAhas been actively testing seafoodsamples taken from the Gulf atboth its Seattle, Washington andPascagoula, Miss. laboratories.
The Seattle lab conducts chemicaltesting on seafood tissue while thePascagoula lab tests the sensorytissue—the smell and taste of the fish.
Two groups of seven highly-trained federal workers from both NOAAand the Food and Drug Administration inspect each sample brought into theMississippi lab. The experts can sniff through more than 35 samples a dayand can detect contaminants (like oil) down to one part per million. Someof the more expert testers can test down to half a part per million, accordingto NOAA Chief Quality Officer Steve Wilson.
The sensory testing is both advanced and critical: Five of the sevenanalysts in each group must approve a fish for it to pass, and all fish in thegroup must pass in order for the closed area of the Gulf to be reopened tofishing.
But many Americans, and even regulators, say this aggressiveseafood-testing policy is not necessary. Gulf seafood accounts for just 2%of all seafood consumed in the United States. The FDA says the majority ofseafood-80%, and virtually all shrimp, 95%, is imported.
Yet, the FDA says no more than 2% of the seafood imported intothe U.S. is inspected. Ira Allen with the agency’s Office of Public Affairs told FOX Business, “not all shipments of imported seafood are physicallyexamined by FDA...but all shipments of imported seafood are reviewed byFDA.”
Allen says the agency uses a risk-based approach to testing theseafood. Meaning, if a shipment comes in from an overseas supplier witha known history of tainted product, the FDA can detain that product evenwithout having to examine it.
Allen adds, “Conversely, if a seafood product is imported from a firmwith a known history of being in compliance, FDA may decide to utilize itsinspectional resources elsewhere, and not examine that particular shipment.”
