Louisiana closes Terrebonne oyster bed
By Robert Zullo, City Editor
Published: Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 7:14 p.m. HOUMA — State officials closed an oyster bed off Terrebonne’s southern coast Thursday night, the latest in a dozen areas shut down as a result of the spreading oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico. Designated Area 17, the oyster bed south of Cocodrie was shut by order of Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine and Dr. Jimmy Guidry, the state health officer. The order took effect at sunset. A news release from the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness says oysters on the market are still safe to eat. The closure was described as a precautionary measure as officials take water and meat samples from closed beds, according to Olivia Watkins, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Hospitals. As oil has spread through the Gulf since the April 20 explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig off the coast of Venice, the state has closed a dozen oyster areas from St. Bernard Parish west to Terrebonne, though two have since been reopened, including one in Lafourche Parish. Two other areas in waters between Terrebonne and Lafourche remain closed. Mike Voisin, CEO of Motivatit Seafoods in Houma, said part of Area 17 had already been closed in response to approaching oil. “The oyster community supports the state in their actions,” Voisin said, adding that production in Area 17 was limited. “In the scheme of things it’s a small area.” Many oyster producers, like Motivatit, harvest oysters from waters all along the coast, from eastern parishes like St. Bernard all the way to Iberia and Vermilion. However, for fishermen with no leases in other waters, the closures have left them out of work, Voisin added. … “This is the most major closure outside of a hurricane that we’ve ever had,” he said. …
