Last Sunday marked the end of the 2011 National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores. For 40 years, this event has brought people together to sample and celebrate one of the Gulf Coast’s greatest culinary (and ecological) treasures. Thousands of people from all over came to enjoy the Gulf Coast, live entertainment, art shows, children’s activities and, of course, lots of shrimp. This is one of the region’s best events and has a tremendous economic impact in our area.

When the BP/Deepwater Horizon Disaster occurred on April 20, 2010, the shrimp that Gulf Coast residents hold so dear (whether in hearts, wallets or forks) were put in danger. The loss of the shrimp species would be devastating to the Gulf food chain and to the economy of the Gulf Coast. Seventy-three percent of the nation’s shrimp harvest comes from the Gulf. While the Gulf shrimp has been declared safe to eat, we need to make sure they are safe for future generations.

The Deepwater Horizon Disaster brought ecological and economic devastation from which we are only beginning to recover. The cost of recovery is huge, but there is hope on the horizon. The U.S. House and Senate have introduced the RESTORE Act, which would send a large portion of the BP fines from the disaster back to the Gulf Coast region for recovery efforts. Without this legislation, the money will go straight to the U.S. Treasury (for non-Gulf activities), and we will be left to foot the bill ourselves. The money that would be sent to the Gulf would be used for environmental and economic recovery. Please thank your Alabama senators and representatives for supporting this bill and our region and urge them to make this legislation law. If you are visiting Alabama, welcome, and please let your legislators know how much you value the Gulf Coast.

To help with or learn more about current restoration, please check out www.mobilebaykeeper.org. We’re working now on environmental restoration because that is the key to long-term economic recovery.

Let’s get the Gulf Coast RESTOREd!

Casi Callaway

Executive director and Baykeeper

Devon Coleman

Special issues

coordinator

Mobile Baykeeper