GALVESTON, TX – While the immediate focus in the Galveston Bay area is on cleanup, the fallout from the oil spill is being felt on a much larger scale.
Local businesses face severe monetary losses and a difficult road to recovery.
“Nobody’s fishing right now so that’s where it’s hurting us,” said Billy Hunter of Boyd’s OneStop fishing and seafood shop. “It’s costing us about $8000 a day loss of money.”
This couldn’t have come at a worse time – right as the spring fishing season is getting into full swing.
“It went from picking up to being good business, to now really being no business,” Hunter said.
The ripple effect from the spill is also reaching travelers. Galveston cruise ship departures are on hold until the ship channel reopens.
“It’s been really frustrating considering we drove in about ten hours to get on this ship for spring break and we haven’t even gotten to get on yet,” traveler Abby Smith said.
Authorities reportedly could reopen the ship channel at least partially as soon as Monday evening, allowing travelers to get their vacations back on track.
But for Galveston-area locals, no escape yet from this oil-slicked nightmare.
