BP Oil Spill Hits Massachusetts

Being so far away from the disaster that has been unfolding for months in the Gulf of Mexico, it's hard to fathom that it would have an impact on life here in New England. But, as the title suggests, the effects of the worst environmental disaster to effect the United States has in fact "come to the Northeast". I am speaking mainly about the price of shrimp. An ironic twist to this story is that the majority of the shrimp that i have been purchasing for our restaurant over the past several years, if not the last decade, is either "farm-raised" or comes from Southeast Asia. I very rarely use actual Gulf Shrimp, but I suppose that supply & demand forces are at play here. The cost of shrimp dropped dramatically in the 90's when Fair Trade Agreements allowed an influx of top quality product from countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. Today, the relief that we had seen from high prices seems to have gone away, at least in the short term. Hopefully the oil spill will be completely contained soon and the residents of the Gulf will be able to get back to "shrimping". --http://www.fohboh.com/profile/Chefrandy