NOAA Expands Fishing Closed Area In Gulf of Mexico

TheFishSite, 15 July 2010

On July 12, NOAA expanded the closed fishing area in the Gulf of Mexico to include portions of the oil slick moving beyond the area’s current northwestern boundary, off the Louisiana federal-state waterline.

This boundary was moved westward of Holly Beach, La., and is approximately 17 statute miles from the Louisiana-Texas border.

On July 13, NOAA opened approximately 174 square miles of the closed fishing area south of Louisiana, as this area was not impacted or projected to be impacted by oil.

This federal closure does not apply to any state waters. Closing fishing in these areas is a precautionary measure to ensure that seafood from the Gulf will remain safe for consumers.

As of July 13, the closed area represents 83,927 square miles, which is approximately 35 per cent of Gulf of Mexico federal waters. This leaves more than 65 per cent of Gulf federal waters available for fishing.

The last closed area modification was July 12, when 84,101 square miles were closed to fishing, or roughly 35 per cent of federal waters of the Gulf.

Source: TheFishSite