PRESS ADVISORY / Panama City Press Conference

PRESS ADVISORY



August 14th 2010

Fishermen and families visit President Obama’s Gulf vacation with concerns about seafood safety and their future.



When: Sunday, August 15th, 2010
10 AM Central

Where:
Captain Anderson’s Marina
5550 North Lagoon Drive
Panama City Beach
32408

Note: Spokespeople will be available for interviews after the press conference.

On Sunday, August 15th, fishermen and families from across the Gulf Coast will gather in Panama City Beach, Florida, with a message for President Obama:  The Gulf of Mexico is still filled with oil and dispersants from the BP disaster, threatening America’s health and these fishermen’s livelihoods.
Fishermen and families will come on busses from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, hoping American will hear their unified message. 
 “This disaster is far from over.  But the President and our state officials are trying to declare an end to it.  There’s oil and dispersants everywhere.”

While President Obama and state officials claim that the Gulf is “open for business”, these fishermen say the Gulf of Mexico is still contaminated, and they’re concern that seafood pulled from these waters is unsafe for eating.  The testing of this seafood is inadequate, particularly testing for the toxic dispersants that they say is still being sprayed.

The fishermen have three demands:

1.     Stop spraying toxic dispersants

2.     Keep fishing grounds closed until better testing methods of seafood prove that it is safe to eat

3.     Create short- and long- term jobs that go to local commercial fishermen first.