The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is having a ripple effect on the local economy, dramatically driving up seafood prices.
With American fishermen struggling to make ends meet, seafood will likely become even more expensive in the coming months -- and the cost of Louisiana shrimp will be particularly steep.
"I was extremely surprised that for a dozen shrimps it cost me over $70, so I'm concerned," said Sophie Meloche, while shopping at the Atwater Market.
With a huge demand for seafood in the city, workers at local restaurants and fish markets say they are starting to feel the effects of the environmental disaster -- particularly since the variety of seafood available in Montreal is already more limited than in the U.S.
Zubair Butt, owner of the Chateau Verdun, said shrimp is one of the main attractions at his restaurant -- and it's costing him a fortune to keep them on the menu.
"Prices go double, and I cannot survive like that -- and I cannot increase the prices of the food," he said.
Marketing professor Robert Soroka said the oil spill may impact businesses for a long time to come.
"There's going to be a ripple effect throughout the supply chain, and unfortunately, it's the consumers who will ultimately pay," Soroka said.
