Louisiana dock owners ask fishermen to accept full responsibility for toxins found in caught fish

[Amerigo Vespucci]

The US government, and even President Obama himself, have said that Gulf seafood is safe to eat in the wake of the massive BP oil spill.

But an admission from the federal government that it hasn't been testing Gulf seafood for toxic heavy metals, and news that fishermen are being forced to sign waivers making them liable for toxins in their catch, suggest not everyone is convinced of the safety of Gulf seafood.

Louisiana fishermen's activist Kindra Arnesen says dock owners are asking fishermen to sign waivers that put the full responsibility for toxins found in the catch on the fishermen themselves.

"This liability cannot fall with our fishermen," she said in a video posted to blogger Alexander Higgins' Web site.

Arnesen's claim comes as Louisiana prepares to allow shrimping on the coast to resume this Monday. A news report from IPS says many shrimpers in the Gulf are simply unwilling to go back in the water, due to fears their catch could be contaminated.

Mississippi commercial shrimper James "Catfish" Miller told IPS there's only one place on the state's coast where oysters can be caught, "and there is oil and dispersants all over the top of it."

http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0821/fishermen-held-responsible-toxic-seafood/

[no_hypocrisy]

1. They're out of their minds. No way legally, ethically, or logically can fisherman accept liability.

If they're told it's "safe" to catch and sell the fish & seafood, then how are they supposed to test for safety?

[Merlot]

3. Unless there were certain areas where they were not allowed to fish

which I don't think is the case. I can't imagine this would stand up in court.

[indepat]

2. Unbef'in unbelievable

:grr:

[GReedDiamond]

4. Kicked for the incredible level of insanity...

...this bullshit has been allowed to ascend to.

Waivers making the fishermen responsible for the toxicity of the fish?!

The fishermen should get full normal market price for any oil-poisoned catch they come up with, from BP (out of the $20 billion already supposedly pledged for damages by BP), and the toxic fish should be safely disposed of/destroyed at BP's additional expense (not out of the $20 billion victims' fund).

On edit: $20 billion should NOT be the ceiling on damage liability. I have no doubt you may easily multiply the $20 billion times 5 and it would still not be even close to what the ultimate damages will be, all of which is BP's fault, certainly not the victimized fishermens' fault.

[Nostradammit]

5. The fish should be served at BP company headquarters

every single day for the next 50 years. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

[Art_from_Ark]

7. Great proposal

Gulf fish served at BP every single day for the next 50 years. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. :thumbsup:

[bvar22]

10. Gulf fish shouild be served at BP HQ,

AND at the White House,
and the residence of EVERY politician who goes on camera saying that the Gulf is now safe.

[Joe Fields]

9. The fishermen should not even be allowed to fish.

Until the matter of toxicity has been thoroughly resolved.

This bullshit coverup by the FDA is something I would have expected from the Bush administration.

But I do agree that, as long as they are allowed to fish, the fishermen should not be held liable.

[Poboy]

14. k&r

[Selatius]

6. The government is forcing the issue, merely by trying to push forward and bury the whole disaster.

So they go out and say the waters are safe and all is well. They want people to forget and move on over what happened, but if people start getting sick, the government may have simply taken ownership of the disaster with BP gladly willing to give up that ownership. Patience is a virtue.

[blindpig]

8. Worse and worse

BP is responsible. Our government is derelict, complicit, irresponsible and BP skates.

Capitalism is killing us.

[gratuitous]

11. Oh, so all you nanny staters expect the government to bail you out?

You want to eat so bad, you should hire your own laboratory to test your food for poisons!

At least, that's what I expect to hear from "Dr." Rand Paul almost any second now.

[TheKentuckian]

12. The madness increases hourly. There should be no fishing at all, if for no other reason than

to allow the populations to recover and to get a handle on the situation.

[tkmorris]

13. But if the fisherman refuse to go out...

Now that the waters have been declared "safe", BP doesn't have to pay them for loss of livelihood anymore. That's what it's really all about.

[joeybee12]

15. The Gulf is safe! We won in Iraq! Everone has healthcare!

That is all.