BP official Suttles says Gulf fish are good enough for him and his family

ON THE GULF OF MEXICO – BP's chief operating officer says he would eat fish from the Gulf of Mexico and would let his family eat it, too.

Doug Suttles took reporters on a boat tour of beaches and marshes Sunday about 25 miles south of Venice, La.

Some nearby areas reopened to fishing late last week, and some observers have questioned whether it's really safe.

Suttles says "they wouldn't open these waters ... if it wasn't safe to eat the fish." He also says he would eat it and "would serve it to my family."

He says he believes Gulf Shore residents will still find oil and tar balls washing ashore into the winter.