Tankers From The Natural Gas Plant example essay topic

304 words
The water surrounding New Bedford harbor contains a wide variety of marine life. The building of a natural gas plant on popes island would upset the local fisherman and could possibly disrupt one of the most productive fishing industries in the country. Which netted a total of $160.4 million of seafood was landed in new Bedford harbor in 1990 which was the top national average. The building of a natural gas plant would disturb the local fisherman who lay out lobster traps all around popes island. With barges and tankers coming through all the time there would be no possible way for these fisherman to lay their traps without them being sucked away or ruined. If ships are constantly flowing in and out of the harbor than the quality of water around popes island would be in severe jeopardy.

If one of the tankers from the natural gas plant should happen to have an oil spill than there would be a very big problem. The fishing industry that brings in over 100,000 pounds of seafood daily which accounts for one third of the city's economy would be crushed. The marine life would be devastated. The harbor is home to the sea scallop which is the main catch, flounder, haddock, cod, herring, lobster, harbor seals, egrets, seagulls, crabs, jelly fish, whales and some endangered species. Nearly all of these animals would have a population decrease.

Another problem that might occur in the harbor is an abundance of ships. There are 113 scallop vessels, 150 daggers and 50 smaller vessels. If there is going to be tankers coming in and out all of the time there would be some conflict with the locals and the 2,000 + fisherman that call new Bedford home.