they don't? This is dated before the oil spill and I didn't take the photo.
In 2018 I spent a couple of days watching fishing and surfing in front of five oil rigs I counted just off Huntington Beach. I chatted with a local at the motel about the rigs, and asked about oil leaks. He said oil leaks can happen even while pumping continues, though it's not so noticeable.
He's no expert and neither am I. But when I hear of a huge spill, I also conclude that a creeping pollution affects fish; I've seen a similar creeping of pollution while living by the Gulf of Mexico. Most fish restaurants in the Sarasota area where I live bring in fish from the Atlantic; I don't eat at those restaurants, but when I have eaten on the coast, the several times I've asked servers, I learned that they don't know what offerings on the menu are locally fished; menus are filled with meals of "mixed cuts" of fish, with increased dishes of chicken and land animal meats. Two big fish restaurants, one called the Seafood Shack located on the bay side of Anna Maria Island, have shut down.
I didn't say that anything oil rigs do is their fault. I just pointed out that fishing and surfing continues; people want to continue to enjoy their coastal habits. If I sound cynical, I'm sorry.
From an hour ago:
Foley urged people to avoid any water activities and stay away from the coast.
“Please do not go in the water. I see that there are still some people out here fishing,” Foley said. “This is a toxic area. You should not be fishing out here, and we should stay at least 50 feet from the shore.”
https://ktla.com/news/local-news/huntington-beach-cancels-pacific-airshow-due-to-massive-oil-spill-off-o-c-coast/
I'm as sad as anyone about the damage, also pissed at our state and federal government's offshore drilling policy.
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