Page 52 - Opportunity Program News Today

They are talking to the not courteous bp employee, bp employees who dont know what theyre talking about. we went to investigate this. we met carl tuesday working in his crabbing boat. but its on the front lawn, not on the water. thats his fishing boat. thats his shrimping boat. are you making any money? >> none at all. not a dollar. >> reporter: so carl applied for bps so-called vessel of opportunity program. bp pays for boats and crews to help in the clean-up. the program is intended for people...

Thats less dangerous. sometimes they can take evasive action and deploy as a group and come in behind it. of those are the normal tactics for vessels at sea. its not a good idea to stay tied up at the dock when hurricanes come ashore when you have the ability to be at sea. >> all right. if you have the ability to be at sea. there are actually a lot of people who make their lives out of the sea and the gulf of mexico who would like to be at sea, but they cant. these are the so-called -- these are...

Open house designed for people with these types of problems. there are many others with similar complaints but they said they didnt get meaningful answers from a bp contractor who was there. we went looking for answers. i wanted to see if we could talk to you about the vessels of opportunity program and why so many people who want to be part of it arent hearing from anybody? >> im sorry, i cant comment. >> reporter: this man wanted us to talk to a supervisor who was not at this open house. bps b...

To see where we were in the system and it seemed like no one into who we were. >> reporter: so tuesday night, both men went to this open house designed for people with these types of problems. and there were many others with similar complaints. but they say they didnt get meaningful answers from a bp contractor who was there. so because bp lifted its controversial rule preventing contractors from talking to journalists, we went looking for answers. sir, i wanted to see if we could talk to about ...

Anymore? >> it is, it is. >> reporter: you acknowledge that? >> absolutely. >> reporter: in louisiana alone, about 1,900 vessels are on the waiting list. ali, typical boater in the vessels of opportunity program can make about $1,500 a day. sounds like a good chunk of change and it is good money. but this is not an infinite program. and fishing was their life. they dont know if theyll ever be able to fish again. another thing about the woman you saw in our story, she says she will be available f...

Week. archaeologists found had an they believe to be the oldest known images of the apostles andrew and john beneath the city of rome. it is thought to be part of a noble womans tomb. spirit airlines, fresh off the five-day pilot strikes makes the disaster into the gulf what many are calling a sick one-liner. it proclaims check out the oil on our beaches and features b s bikini-clad women in suntan oil. whats interesting about that ad, the one gulf coast destination that they fly to, tampa, ...

Will give commercial fishermen an opportunity to work. fishermen say theyve registered, waited and called and got no response. they came to a meeting with bp officials to get answers but instead they got the run around. gary tuchman is keeping them honest. >> he is working on his crabbing boat but its on his front lawn, not the water. thats his fishing boat and shrimping boat boat. >> are you making any money? >> none at all. not a dollar. >> last year, carl and his wife, mary, earned $120,000, ...

Bp says its vessels of opportunity program will give commercial fishermen an opportunity to work. fishermen say theyve registered, waited and called and got no response. they came to a meeting with bp officials to get answers but instead they say they got more of the run-around. gary tuchman is keeping them honest. >> he is working on his crabbing boat but its on his front lawn, not the water. thats his fishing boat and shrimping boat. are you making any money? >> none at all. not a dollar. >> l...

Not a dollar. >> last year, carl and his wife, mary, earned $120,000, mainly from selling his catch at this now empty roadside stand. now with the ban on fishing, nothing. he applied for bps so-called vessel of opportunity program. they pay for boats and crews to help in the cleanup. it is intended for people like carl, fishermen with boats who have lost their livelihood. after carl applied, he heard nothing. >> you called up, said whats going on? what did they tell you? >> they told us we neede...

Ad, the one gulf coast destination that they fly to, tampa, florida, not featured in the ad. >> interesting. and should point out most of the beaches in the gulf are open for business and are totally fine. mississippi and beaches in alabama and florida. >> right. >> obviously that will be offensive to a lot of people. randi, appreciate it. back here in the gulf, vessels of opportunity program will give commercial fishermen an opportunity to work. fishermen say theyve registered, waited and cal...