Fishermen Upset About BP Oil Spill Decision

Biloxi, MSAs the residents of the Gulf Coast continue to deal with the aftermath of the BP oil spill, fishermen are receiving even more bad news. According to Reuters on 7/16/10, those who work in the fishing industry learned they might lose out on some of their claim if they help BP clean up the oil spill.


Reuters reports that Kenneth Feinberg, the official in charge of administering BP's oil spill fund, announced that fishermen who rented their boats to BP or helped clean up the oil spill will see their earnings deducted from their claim. Some fishermen reportedly walked out of the meeting, protesting the decision and noting that it was pointless to help BP .

The Vessels of Opportunity program was set up by BP to recruit thousands of fishermen in the clean-up efforts. However, the fishermen note that they must pay their crews out of the money given to them by BP, leaving them with less than they would have earned had the fishing industry not been shut down in the Gulf of Mexico.

Some are reportedly upset that fishermen from outside the region have made money from the Vessels of Opportunity program while local fishermen are still out of work.

There are thousands of other people affected by the oil spill who may not be eligible to file a claim with BP's claims fund. The 7/15/10 edition of the Los Angeles Times cited Amanda Domangue as an example. The owner of a company that transports supplies to oil rigs, Domangue says she has lost almost 85 percent of her business since the oil spill.

Domangue noted that there are thousands of contractors in the Gulf region who are not able to work and are not eligible to file a claim.

In meetings with residents of the Gulf Coast, Feinberg said the claims process would be more generous than a lawsuit. Bloomberg reported on7/15/10 that claimants can still file suit if they accept emergency payments, but not if they later accept the lump-sum compensation.