Mickey Sou's blog

Shrimper Tuan Dang tells his story

Mickey Sou — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:10:00 +0000

For this video I interviewed Tuan Dang, a shrimper from the Mississippi Gulf Coast. He talked about his life, the seafood industry, the BP oil disaster, and how he began working with and the Historian for

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Mississippi fishermen angry about being blamed for turtle deaths

Mickey Sou — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 19:18:08 +0000

An uproar of local angry fishermen spoke out about sea turtle deaths yesterday at a public scoping meeting on Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) held by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).

NOAA is pointing fingers based on the theory that the rise in sea turtle deaths is caused by local fishermen during the BP oil disaster. Many shrimpers and fishermen are very angry that NOAA would do such a thing during a time like this.

If you look at the chart below by NOAA. It clearly shows that the sea turtle death spike right about the time of the oil spill. At this time most of the fishing boats vessels started to come into dock. We do not know where they are getting this theory from. NOAA did not produce any evidence at this meeting showing how the fishermen caused the death of the sea turtles. It is ridiculous theory to start pointing fingers at the fishermen and shrimpers. It is hard enough right now to even make a living on the Gulf after this BP disaster. Shrimp prices have dropped and fuel is high.

This is just another burden to put on top of the fishermen and shrimpers. In the end, it seems like NOAA and NMFS are just helping BP steer clear of this issue.

Someone has to be blamed for it and the finger right now is pointed at the fishermen and shrimpers.  What is even more suspicious is that they have already come up with alternatives for solution. Even though they say right now it is a theory and opinion.   

The three choices "to reduce sea turtle mortality" NOAA & NMFS are considering are:

Alternative 1 (No Action): This alternative would allow the shrimp fishery to be fished in the same manner as it is currently fished.
The current TED requirements would remain in place and no additional measures would be required to reduce potential sea turtle interactions.

Alternative 2: This alternative would withdraw the alternative tow time restriction at 50 CFR 223.206(d)(2)(ii)(A)(3), and require skimmer trawls, pusher-head trawls, and wing nets (butterfly trawls) rigged for fishing to use TEDs in their nets. This could apply to vessels in only the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean, or apply to all vessels.

Alternative 3: This alternative would close waters (area to be determined) to shrimp trawling during a specific time frame (period to be determined). This alternative could apply to all shrimp vessels or only to a specific sector of the fishery (e.g., otter trawlers, skimmer trawlers, etc.).

Right now it just seems like another nightmare for the fishermen and shrimpers is starting all over again.

Mickey Sou is the Treasurer for .

My adventures at Power Shift 2011

Mickey Sou — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 22:50:29 +0000

Washington D.C., our nation’s capital; The land of big embassies, big politics, big corporations, and don’t forget, big polluters.   On April 15th -18th, Washington D.C. was also home to Power Shift 2011, a youth climate summit and organizer trainer.

Nearly 10,000 people converged from all across the U.S. to network, educate, advocate, learn and raise awareness about climate, environmental, and justice issues around the globe. This isn't just about solar panels and wind power. It is about all sorts of issue that affects our everyday life and our future, from the Japanese Nuclear power plant disaster to the BP oil disaster.

The one thing I really loved about Power Shift 2011 was the workshops they had offer, from leadership workshops to learning how to lobby. They had panels and workshops on the disaster in Japan, greening high schools, the impact of war and militarism, and how the food we eat affects our environment.

One of my favorite workshops was on storytelling. Storytelling is a very powerful tool that we use everyday without even knowing, and has a great influence on the people around us. So what is my story, you ask?

I was born in Missoula, Montana. When I was about a month old, my family moved down to Biloxi, Mississippi. My mom and dad were both refugees from the Vietnam War. When my mom and dad came over here to this country, they had very little education and spoke very little English, so they got into the shrimping industry. I grew up mostly around the boat. I learn how to drive a boat before I actually learned how to drive a car.   My family didn’t have a lot of money. I have been working and helping the family business since who knows when.

Back in 2001, my family took a devastating loss. The price of shrimp dropped due to imported shrimp from China. The price of a barrel of oil sky-rocketed. It was costing us way too much to operate.   In the end, my daddy filed for bankruptcy. It was a done deal. It was the most horrible feeling and position to be in the world. There were a lot of sleepless nights. I hoped that no one ever has to go through what we had to go through.   But we began to recover. Just a little sacrifice and hard work paid off. It wasn’t a quick fix over night. It took about 10 years to recover from a loss that big.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina came in and destroyed the place I grew up. Katrina basically rearranged all of our lives. Since then, Biloxi was coming back slowly but surely. It seems life was starting to be rebuild again. I was enjoying my life living along the Gulf. I still occasionally have dreams of being on my family’s first shrimp boat and yes, I still do fish the Gulf of Mexico religiously.

Until April 20th, 2010, when an explosion rocked the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling platform. It killed 11 workers and caused 1 suicide, may their souls rest in peace. The disaster didn’t stop there. The automatic shut-off on the well failed. Millions of gallons of oil spilled into the water for nearly three months, destroying everything in its path. This was a total nightmare for me again. I even asked myself, “Is this happening? Am I dreaming?”   

Growing up on the sea, I knew what was going to happen to the future of the seafood industry. I knew most of these fishermen were going to lose their jobs. I knew it was going to be hard to pay the bills around the house. I knew what it was going to be like trying to put food on the table for your family. I knew there was going to be a lot of red tape. I just had this feeling. I knew. I wasn’t going to let this happen to my friends and family. It is a horrible feeling. That is why I traveled to Washington D.C., for Power Shift 2011. This is my home and this is my way of life. I have fished the Gulf of Mexico.

*****

It’s hard for me to summarize what happened in the four fun, intense days I was at Power Shift. I met a lot of young leaders doing good for their community, and heard a lot of stories. It provided great learning experiences, resources and tools for young advocates like me.

Above all, I learned there are all walks of life on this planet. We don't all live, eat or breathe the same. Each and every one of us has a very unique life. But I know one thing we do have in common. We all live on this planet we call "Earth". It is ours and we share this planet with everyone else on it. I believe we should keep it clean and preserve for the future of our humanity.

I hope you all enjoy my photos of Power Shift 2011. I can express more through my pictures. Please enjoy and see you at the next Power Shift summit.

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Gulf Coast R.E.A.C.H.'s Turkey Donation success!

Mickey Sou — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 06:24:03 +0000

Bridge the Gulf contributor Mickey Sou recounts his experience distributing pies and turkeys over Thanksgiving to people who are hurting because of the BP oil disaster.

Fishermen, seafood factory workers, shrimpers, truck drivers, even the man who sits there at the corner and sells those delicious Gulf Shrimp; All came for a free turkey and pie! Free? Yes, you heard me, FREE turkeys and pies for people affected by the oil disaster.

Never in my life had I imagined driving a truck bed full of frozen turkeys, piled all the way to the top. I was scared to make a quick turn and send turkeys flying all over I-10. Well not really fly, because turkeys don't fly. Driving in front of me was Tony, with a car full of pumpkin, sweet potato, apple and pecan pie stacked high.

Once we got to our rendezvous, there was a steady stream of people. Nice people with big smiles on their faces. Many people like Marvin Craft.

Marvin Craft worked as an oyster shucker before the disaster. The oyster house he was employed at had closed down due to the oil disaster. So now he is out of a job. This forced him to actually go ask for food stamps and stand in line for food donations. One of the thousands still waiting on a check from BP, Marvin looks up to organizations like ours for help and support.

We had people come from Bayou Le Batre, Alabama; Venice and Chalmette, Louisiana and all over the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It was a great day to put a smile on these people faces, but it was also to sad to hear how they were affected by this oil spill disaster.

There are a lot of unexpected events on this planet Earth that could happen such as this oil disaster, events that affect your way of life, forcing you to do the unthinkable. I believe that having a dedicated organization in the community is very rare. I urge everyone to at least give their time in volunteering with your local community. Trust me. It is very rewarding to the mind.

What is gulfcoastreach@gmail.com

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GULF COAST R.E.A.C.H.

1000 Cranes

Mickey Sou — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 20:11:52 +0000

In the pictures below, I was out shooting around the oil spill one day. There were cleanup workers everywhere. Yellow buoy floating all around the pier. I happen to catch this crane just standing on the pier, next to some guys fishing off the pier. The unusual thing was. It didn't budge at all. I got very close to it. It never moved. It just moved to the side to let me walk right by. So, I took a few snap shots of it.

It made me wonder. Why is it just sitting here? Does this bird know what is happening right now with the oil disaster? Is it waiting for the guys to catch a fish and feed him? It really made me wonder if the animals really knew what was going on. Never scared or once dare fly away. It seems like the crane knew what was wrong with the water? It was quite interesting and maybe one day we will figure it out. Maybe it is trying to tell us something?

In the Asian culture, the crane is the symbol for long life, prosperity and good health.
The crane is a very strong symbolic meaning. This mystic bird has a very strong and graceful stance. This is a very intelligent creature. It makes you wonder sometimes. What is thinking as it sits there fearlessly watching over us. Maybe it is a sign of hope for our future along the MS Gulf Coast.

-Mickey Sou

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Oil Spill

Deepwater Horizon

Oil disaster