On April 20, 2010, brother and sister Laura Bolton (nee Ederer) and Mark Ederer did not

think much about the rig explosion off the Gulf of Mexico. Their R.F. Ederer Company, which

produces nylon seine twine and netting for the fishing and sport netting industries, was too busy

digging itself out of the financial crisis of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the 2008 stock market

crash.

Actually, the first quarter of 2010 was the beginning of what looked like a good year,

said Bolton. Our sales were up by 18 percent and we were looking forward to a rebound in our

industry.

Then the oil hit.

After a busy April and May filling orders that were already placed, everything stopped in

June.

The reality of the spill was beginning to sink in, said Ederer.

June through December sales were practically nonexistent. There were no orders from the

seafood or menhaden industries. The company not only lost the rebound and expected increases,

but more than $200,000 in sales.

The Ederer family has been in the net industry for more than 100 years. R.F. Ederer

Compnay was founded in 1969 in Ocean Springs, Miss. The company was originally founded in

Chicago and the goal was and still is to make the very best net and netting available, said

Bolton.

Now, four generations later, the Ederer family is doing all they can to survive this very

difficult time in the Gulf.

BPs claims process has helped the process. R.F. Ederer filed a rather lengthy,

according to Bolton, paperwork in September, 2010. They received a check in October, thanks to

detailed financial records which clearly indicated beyond a doubt that the BP oil spill caused

sales to drop drastically.

The check we received helped us keep our doors open, said Ederer.

After a continued slow remainder of 2010, the company filed a claim for the balance of

losses.

The company has yet to receive a response from BP about the second claim.

In 2010 BP was concerned and helpful and quick to respond to claims, said Bolton.

Today, we have not heard back from BP.

Not all victims of the oil spill were as lucky as R.F. Ederer on the claims process. Due to

a highly complicated and lengthy process, good financial records are essential to prove that BP

was the sole cause of the loss of money. Many fishermen simply did not keep good records.

The future of the seafood industry is the key to the long-term success of R.F. Ederer.

According to Bolton, the Gulf Coast fishing industry is still very up-in-the-air about when they

will rebound.

BP claims to be working with officials in the region to design programs to test and

monitor the safety and promotion of seafood. According to their website, BP is providing $18

million over a three-year period for the testing of oil, dispersants and other spill-related impacts

on seafood and is funding a three-year, $13million fisher-resource monitoring plan to study the

effects of the oil spill on Louisianas fisheries resources. More money is being invested into the

promotion and marketing of gulf seafood.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is continually testing

fish in the Gulf region. The most recent March, 2011 round of testing, will hopefully allow more

commercial fishing areas to be reopened.

NOAA also announced it would continue retesting seafood from the Gulf throughout the

summer to gain US and international confidence that the seafood is safe to eat, according to a

press release.

Fortunately, Gulf seafood is consistently passing FDAs safety tests by a wide margin,

said Eric Schwaab, assistant NOAA administrator in charge of NOAAs Fisheries Service.

Not all fishery experts are so sure. Stephen Szedlmayer, marine fish ecologist at Auburn

University was unable to answer questions regarding the future and safety of the Gulf fishing

industry.

All he could say was, I really cant answer your question, as I simply dont know.

With the future of the Gulf Coast fishing industry a mystery, Bolton, Ederer and everyone

at R.F. Ederer are left with only hope.

The oil spill was a huge environmental disaster and we dont know how long we will be

feeling the effects from it, said Bolton.

The family hopes this summer will bring more tourists and boost the industry.

We were lucky because we have no debt, we keep good records, said Ederer. With the

help of the claims check we were able to weather the storm.

What will happen in the future is still uncertain. But hopefully, through the efforts of BP,

NOAA, experts and consumers, the Gulf Coast will be able to rise from the oil like a phoenix

from ashes and prosperity will be able to enjoy the white beaches for generations to come.