6-4-10
Sportfishing Industry Urges President Obama to Provide Immediate Financial Assistance to Businesses in the Gulf
6-3-10
Memorial Day Weekend a Bust for Gulf Coast Recreational Fishing Businesses
Recreational fishing-dependent businesses will not survive without immediate financial assistance
5-28-10
Marina’s rooms empty
To Neal Perrillioux, a Grand Isle resident who works at the Starfish Restaurant, the situation is heartbreaking. “It’s a crime,” Perrillioux said. “BP ruined all of our lives on this island.”
5-25-10
The feds declare fisheries disaster in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama
5-24-10
Tracking the Spill:
• ROFFS Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Monitoring
• NOAA Oil Spill Tracking
• NOAA: Latest imagery of Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico from optical sensors
• New York Times Tracking the Spill: Interactive Map
• Florida State University Oil Spill Tracking
5-24-10
Academic Task Force Formed to Help With Response
to Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico
5-20-10
Requesting Assistance
The Small Business Administration (SBA) - The SBA is offering loans of up to $2 million, with an interest rate of four percent for the oil spill. The loans are intended to help businesses pay for ongoing expenses and bridge the gap until a settlement is reached with BP PLC. You may obtain information about the SBA loans and apply on line by going to www.sba.gov.
5-20-10
BP Compensation
In addition to Congressional action, businesses are encouragedto apply directly to the BP for compensation. Those claims will be judged on a case-by-case basis and businesses will need to have supporting documentation comparing business in 2009 with 2010.
To contact BP about a claim you must call 800-440-0858. You will be asked a series of questions about your reason for a claim. You will be provided a claim number. ASA encourages all of its members impacted by the Gulf of Mexico oil leak to retain good records from the day of the spill forward as there may be other claim opportunities in the coming months.
5-20-10
Raising the Cap on BP Damage Payments
The White House proposal would also raise the cap on BP, the owner of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, could have to pay in damages. Under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, the cap on damages beyond clean-up costs is $75 million, although that cap can be waived if the company is found to have engaged in willful misconduct or violated federal safety rules.
Legislation has already been proposed in both the Senate and House to increase the current limit of $75 million to $10 billion; however, the White House proposal does not specify a new cap but indicates this is an amount to be determined in Congress. BP has said the company will pay all legitimate claims, according to a White House fact sheet. You can read the fact sheet at www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/fact-sheet-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill-legislative-package.
5-18-10
Salazar calls for tighter regulations covering petroleum industry
5-18-10
NOAA closes 19 percent of Gulf to fishing
5-18-10
Message from ASA President and CEO Mike Nussman
5-17-10
NOAA Says 93 Percent of the Gulf Open to Recreational Fishing.
ASA is calling upon federal and state officials to act swiftly and diligently to mitigate the effects of the oil spill, which continues to release thousands of barrels of oil a day. The spill poses a severe threat to the Gulf of Mexico's marine fishery resources and sportfishing industry, jeopardizing the livelihoods of thousands of Americans who live throughout the Gulf region. While much of the current media attention is focused on the affected areas, it is important to note that as of May 12, according to NOAA, 93 percent of the Gulf is still unaffected and open to recreational fishing.
Please visit www.KeepAmericaFishing.org/gulfoilspill.html for updates about fishing closures and a list of federal and state agencies responding to the oil spill.
5-17-10
In addition to the tragic loss of life, the oil spill and resulting fishing closure pose a severe threat to the Gulf of Mexico's marine fishery resources and sportfishing industry, although ultimate impacts on recreational fisheries and wildlife are impossible to predict at this time. Recreational fishing contributes $41 billion dollars in economic output in the Gulf Coast region annually and supports over 300,000 jobs. The Gulf of Mexico is one of the most popular areas for recreational fishing in the United States with nearly six million saltwater anglers taking over 45 million fishing trips each year. The oil spill has the potential to impact the nearly 2,300 tackle shops in Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida's West Coast.
5-14-10
Impact of Gulf oil catastrophe on sport fishing and boating industry bares little notice; time for call to action says TBF. The Billfish Foundation drafts letter to Gulf Coast governors and legislators.
5-13-10
Companies get SBA loans after oil spill, storms
5-12-10
NOAA and the Department of Commerce worked with the White House to include a $15 million request for aid on behalf of fishermen and fishing dependent businesses
