BARATARIA, La.  The order came at 6 a.m. The BP cleanup boats were getting ready to leave. Robin Palmisano, a wiry shrimper not given to many words, was to gather his crew and drive them three hours to the Venice dock. Pronto.

It wasn’t the early call that bothered him; rising before the sun is second nature to men who have spent their lives trawling. It wasn’t the work, which was in many ways easier than hauling shrimp out of the water. And it wasn’t the money, which was good. Very good, in fact.

It was just that Mr. Palmisano, like thousands of other Gulf Coast fishermen BP is paying to clean up the oil from its well offshore, is not accustomed to having a boss.

“We usually come and go as we please,” Mr. Palmisano said, gazing out at the bayou that runs past his living room window. “We know when we got to make money, we know when we can go home early. I’m not used to all these people calling the shots.”