Changing Tides Pt. 2: How the Spill is Re-Shaping Local Communities

for part 1 see post below

While VAYLA-NO does what it can, there are some issues that local families are facing that cannot be ameliorated. One immediate problem is that even when families receive claims funds - which not all families have yet - the funding comes in monthly cycles. The Vietnamese fishing families of Versailles are used to cyclical revenue streams dependent on season. Long droughts in income followed by large revenue increases during peak-season are common. Relying on unchanging claims checks from BP has forced families to change how they purchase necessities. It is difficult for many families to cope with these economic changes. Some large payments that would normally be made when money is coming in fast, such as boat repairs, cannot be made with the minimal, but constant, claims payments.

Another, deeper problem is that the economic hardship is forcing Versailles to change cultural traditions. Fishing has been the occupation of many of the local people long before they emigrated from Vietnam. Their history is intertwined with the industry; it is part of their heritage. A closure of fishing grounds quickly becomes more than a loss of revenue or work; it becomes a loss of identity. A young man named Erik said that his father has already taken his fishing over to Texas rather than find other employment or rely on checks from BP. If fishing in Louisiana remains unreliable his father will move back to Vietnam to continue his fishing tradition there. The long-term impact on the fishing industry in the Gulf is still not known. Even though some fishing grounds have been re-opened it is important to remember that it took two years after the Exxon-Valdez for the pink salmon and herring fisheries in Prince Charles Sound to collapse. The herring industry has still not recovered.

While some community members in Versailles struggle to hold onto their fishing heritage, others are aware of the need to look for new prospects. A restaurant owner said that if business did not pick up she would have to close down within six months. There are some creative plans in the community to help diversify the economy. On the empty fields we visited there are plans to start a multi-acre community garden. This would allow families to grow additional food for their families as well as allow some members to sell produce outside of Versailles. There is also a push for youth who work on fishing vessels to go back to school. Without a job, and sensing that the fishing industry may not always supply for them, a few have quit the decks and headed back to the books to create new opportunities.

One theme that has hung over our trip is uncertainty. When will the oil be cleaned up? What are the health effects going to be? What about the dispersant? When will you get back to work? “I don't know” everyone says. Versailles is feeling this uncertainty as well. The only sure thing is that the community will face changes and hardship for some time to come. Coming away from our visit to Versailles we were impressed with the amount of community work being done but uneasy about the future of many of its people. We can only hope that people keep in mind that these sort of effects are being felt by Versailles and similar communities all along the coast. Let's not forget that the effects of the BP disaster are far from over.