The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries can shut down shrimping season in a matter of minutes.
Paul Naquin, St. Mary Parish President, said “the crab season, they shut down finfish and the oyster reefs.”
Vermillion Parish President, Wayne Touchet, said "I don't think there's enough oil in Marsh Island to warrant closing the fishing in Marsh Island.”
Parish presidents in Acadiana say sometimes decisions are made too quickly.
Touchet said, "before they close the shrimping season, they need to have a quicker response in determining if there is oil in Vermilion, or Iberia or St. Mary parish. Don't just close it--verify that there is oil there before you close the season."
Parish presidents aren't the only ones frustrated. The ones who are affected the most are the fishermen who depend on it to make a living.
Fisherman, Rene Gregoire, said the he feels "bad...bad. Especially when you got bills every month and you know it's just terrible.”
Gregoire says the season opening and closing constantly is driving fishermen crazy.
"They are losing their minds, they don't know what's going on,” he said. “You fill up your boat with ice and groceries and food and then you find out the season is closed."
He’s leaving fishing behind for now.
“I'm going to go through it make sure everything is good and then head straight to Venice," he said.
He’ll be helping clean up oil, but says he hopes life can return to normal as soon as possible.
"It feels good when I'm helping, but it feels better when I can go shrimping instead you know," he explained.
Oil clean up is giving thousands of fisherman work temporarily, but it doesn’t replace what they love most.
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