BP oil spill in Gulf of Mexico threatens coastal fishing industry

In the Gulf Coast, the effort to lower a containment dome over the main oil leak of the Deepwater Horizon Site was suspended over the weekend. British Petroleum said today that a build up of hydrates prevented the placement of the dome over the spill area. The company now says it is preparing a second, smaller dome to fit over the leak, but also noted that it has never been done in this deep of water. The damaged oil well is 5-thousand feet below the surface and continues to gush 5,000 barrels of oil per day into coastal waters.

The oil slick coating the water has been moving towards the Louisiana coast, threatening the marshes surrounding the mouth of the Mississippi river. The area is one of the richest fishing areas in the country, but the spill is threatening to put an end to the industry and forcing thousands of fishermen out of work. From Louisiana, FSRN’s Zoe Sullivan has more.