Nearly 40 oyster fishermen met Tuesday with state officials, lawyers and a representative from an oyster crop insurance company at the University of New Orleans to discuss how the Gulf of Mexico oil spill has impacted their industry.

The Louisiana Oyster Task Force comprises officials from the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and commercial fishermen. The task force, a division of Louisiana’s Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, hopes to meet with BP representatives next week to express concern about the future of the seafood industry.

Oil has been spotted on the beaches and coastal wetlands of Louisiana, forcing 13 of 28 oyster beds to close.

The fishermen are especially concerned about the chemical dispersant BP is using to quell the oil spill. Task force members said they were fearful that the chemical, Corexit, would limit the reproduction of oysters, a key product for the fishermen.

“There are a lot of ‘what ifs,’” said Dr. Jimmy Guidry, a public health officer. “There are a lot of unanswered questions.”

Patrick Banks, a marine fisheries biologist for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, shared a similar sentiment, but said it’s too early to tell if the chemical dispersants being used are having an effect on oyster reproduction.

Guidry said the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals has submitted a seafood safety plan to the governor requesting that BP pay to test seafood for the next five to 10 years to determine if it is safe to eat, and help fund seafood marketing efforts. BP has already given the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board $2 million for public service messages saying that seafood is safe to eat.

“We’re trying to keep our market alive,” said Ewell Smith, executive director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board.

Lawyers at the meeting encouraged affected fishermen to file joint claims for loss of business. The claims may be the only way many of the fishermen will be compensated.

Robert Cerda, president of Crop Insurance Systems, explained that crop insurance was designed to protect against natural disasters and that the oil spill was excluded from insurance coverage.

“Crop insurance is not going to help,” said Cerda.

As a result, the fishermen voted at the meeting to request that the U.S. Department of Agriculture waive their insurance premium on their crops.

The federal government Monday declared a fisheries disaster for Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana per a request from the governors of Mississippi and Alabama. The declaration will allow the Gulf states to qualify for additional relief money from the government.

“The disaster determination will help ensure that the federal government is in a position to mobilize the full range of assistance that fishermen and fishing communities may need,” U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said in a statement.

Locke noted that the $2 billion fishing industry provides important jobs in the Gulf and is essential to the area’s culture and heritage. He assured business owners that the administration “stands with America’s fishermen, their families and businesses in impacted coastal communities during this challenging time.”

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