Massive oil spill hits fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico
Kyiv • UNN
The pollution covered 600 km of coastline and seven nature reserves in Mexico. Fishermen lost income due to spoiled equipment and mass deaths of marine animals.
A massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has dealt a severe blow to the fishing industry on the coast of Mexico. The pollution has spread over 600 kilometers and affected at least seven nature reserves, which has already hit fishermen in the states of Veracruz, Tabasco, and Tamaulipas. This is reported by AP, writes UNN.
Details
In the city of Veracruz, where fish markets are usually crowded with buyers before Holy Week, trade has practically stopped this year.
Local vendors and fishermen say they are left without a normal catch and without buyers. People are afraid to buy seafood due to possible contamination, even despite government statements that there are no confirmed cases of poisoning or illness.
Due to the oil, many fishermen were forced to almost completely stop going out to sea so as not to damage boat engines and nets. For hundreds of families, this means the actual loss of their main source of income.
The consequences are already visible on the coast
According to the government, about 430 tons of hydrocarbons have already been collected from the coast of the three states. At the same time, local media publish footage of dead fish, eels, and sea turtles washed up on the beaches.
Local residents call the situation catastrophic and say they have never seen a spill of this magnitude. For fishermen, who usually earn the most at this time, this season is practically ruined.