Amidst fun, uncertainty about drilling remains

Record crowds gathered to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the state’s oldest chartered event – the Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival – over Labor Day weekend.

The celebration wasn’t the only headline-grabber. Foreign press and state politicians kept the spotlight on the recent oil spill and the ongoing drilling moratorium.

“France 24” – the European country’s counterpart to America’s CNN – sent two field reporters to cover the event. Environmental reporter Eve Irvine and adventure/recreation reporter Jennifer Knock sent back a series of reports on the festival, as well as the Deepwater Horizon spill and its impact on south Louisiana.

“We’re seen throughout all of France, and we broadcast to 83 countries throughout the world,” Irvine explained, stressing the far reach the news reports would have.

For Knock, the various vendors selling food in Lawrence Park and under the Atchafalaya River bridge captivated her attention. “We can’t talk long,” she said in her native tongue during a brief break. “We’re rushing [to film] while we have sunlight.”

Meanwhile, 3rd Congressional District representative candidate Hunt Downer used the forum to politic and tout his anti-moratorium stance. The front of his Jeep bore a sign with a red line across the word “moratorium.” “We can’t take this any longer,” he said of the Obama administration’s decision to exact a halt to offshore drilling in the wake of the BP Deepwater Horizon explosion and subsequent spill. “The president has to end this moratorium – like now.”

In the days leading up to the region’s landmark festival, interim Lt. Gov. Scott Angelle has touted the importance of the five-day event following the recent developments in the Gulf. The festival, he said, “stamps awareness to the importance of oil to the Louisiana economy.”

“We are indeed a unique slice of America that can explore and produce the fuel to energize our economy and at the same time provide America’s most robust fisheries catch,” he said before Sunday’s Blessing of the Fleet ceremony.

When questioned about the impact of last week’s Mariner Energy rig explosion in Vermillion Bay, Angelle said he didn’t think it would extend the ongoing moratorium.

“Come on, President Obama and his cabinet need to realize this was not an accident on a rig, but on a platform,” Angelle said. “This had nothing to do directly with drilling.”

Secretary of State Jay Dardenne, who is also seeking the state’s lieutenant governor seat in the November election, was on hand Sunday. He, too, is optimistic the federal government will ignore the latest incident. “Let’s face it, the nation’s spotlight is on us,” he said. “It’s here for more than just the Saints.

“I hope this moratorium is lifted soon, but I just don’t know [what the federal reaction will be],” Dardenne added.

But state Sen. Butch Gautreaux was far less optimistic as he took in the festival.

“My efforts and those of my colleagues and friend could be stymied by [last Wednesday’s platform explosion],” he said. “Hopefully, we will stay united in our effort to end the moratorium as soon as possible.”

The Rev. Danny Poche, Holy Cross altar boy Matthew Barbier and Knights of Columbus James Rink participate in Sunday’s Blessing of the Fleet ceremony at the 75th annual Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival. HOWARD J. CASTAY JR.