At the Carioto Produce and Seafood warehouse, shrimp from India and Vietnam stock the freezer, while a refrigerated aisle is stacked with bags of clams from Rhode Island, cockles from New Zealand, a fresh 5-pound fillet of lane snapper from Nicaragua and mahi-mahi from Ecuador.
The Gulf may be soiled with oil, but Al Hecker, Carioto’s seafood specialist, has had little trouble getting what he needs in a global market — even for Gulf staples like snapper and mahi-mahi.
“My supply hasn’t diminished, I’ve just stepped sideways,” says Hecker.
In other words, the disaster in the Gulf is probably saving him money. How much you want to bet he won’t buy Gulf seafood in the future, after it’s safe to eat seafood from the Gulf again?




