Commercial And Recreational Fishing Closed From Pensacola To Louisiana

May 2, 2010

NOAA is restricting fishing for a minimum of ten days in federal waters most affected by the BP oil spill, largely between Louisiana state waters at the mouth of the Mississippi River to waters off Florida’s Pensacola Bay. The closure was effective Sunday.

Fishermen who wish to contact BP about a claim should call (800) 440-0858.

“NOAA scientists are on the ground in the area of the oil spill taking water and seafood samples in an effort to ensure the safety of the seafood and fishing activities,” said Dr. Jane Lubchenco, NOAA Administrator, who met with more than 100 fishermen in Louisiana’s Plaquemines Parish on Friday night. “I heard the concerns of the Plaquemines Parish fishermen as well other fishermen and state fishery managers about potential economic impacts of a closure. Balancing economic and health concerns, this order closes just those areas that are affected by oil. There should be no health risk in seafood currently in the marketplace.”

“We stand with America’s fisherman, their families and businesses in impacted coastal communities during this very challenging time. Fishing is vital to our economy and our quality of life and we will work tirelessly protect to it,” said Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke. NOAA is a bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The federal and state governments have strong systems in place to test and monitor seafood safety and to prohibit harvesting from affected areas and keeping oiled products out of the marketplace. NOAA Fisheries is working closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the States to ensure seafood safety, by assessing whether seafood is tainted or contaminated to levels that pose a risk to human health.

“There are finfish, crabs, oysters and shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico near the area of the oil spill,” said Roy Crabtree, NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Administrator. “The Gulf is such an important biologic and economic area in terms of seafood production and recreational fishing.”

According to NOAA, there are 3.2 million recreational fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico region who took 24 million fishing trips in 2008. Commercial fishermen in the Gulf harvested more than 1 billion pounds of finfish and shellfish in 2008.

NOAA is working with the state governors to evaluate the need to declare a fisheries disaster in order to facilitate federal aid to fishermen in these areas. NOAA fisheries representatives in the region will be meeting with fishermen this week to assist them. The states of Louisiana and Mississippi have requested NOAA to declare a federal fisheries disaster. BP will be hiring fishermen to help clean up from the spill and deploy boom in the Gulf of Mexico. Interested fishermen should call (425) 745-8017.

NOAA will continue to evaluate the need for fisheries closures based on the evolving nature of the spill and will re-open the fisheries as appropriate. NOAA will also re-evaluate the closure areas as new information that would change the dimension of these closed areas becomes available.

Details can be found here: http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/

Comments

4 Responses to “Commercial And Recreational Fishing Closed From Pensacola To Louisiana”

  1. justmy2sense on May 12th, 2010 2:57 pm

    the end of the USA as we know it, is here. the terrorists have won. one can’t possibly think this was not well organized? think for one moment. isn’ this the begining of the fishing season? the tourist season? even the start of the Gulf Stream [spring & summer] which will carry oil to God knows where? i fear our enconomy will not withstand this impact. i also know the South will become a wasteland as Heaven turns into Hell. this is far bigger than one can imagine…..

  2. David Huie Green on May 5th, 2010 11:15 am

    “The heavier ones will evaporate and not condense back under expected conditions”

    The LIGHTER ones will evaporate and not condense back under expected conditions.

    David correcting self

  3. David Huie Green on May 3rd, 2010 2:15 pm

    REGARDING:
    “there has been no way found yet to stop it. All of this ocean water does condense and form clouds, which are going to move and rain oil on locations far and wide.”

    Ways to stop it are known and under way. They just take time and the mess will continue in the mean time.

    Rain will not rain oil on people, though, so you can thank the Lord for that if you wish. Petroleum is a mixture of many hydrocarbons. The heavier ones will not evaporate in the first place and will form the tar balls folks worry about. The heavier ones will evaporate and not condense back under expected conditions. Over time they will be broken down by ultraviolight and will be reduced to even simpler molecules, finally producing just carbon dioxide and water. Well, okay, the water will condense but that is no different from any other water molecules.

    Consider the fact that you have spilled gasoline at some point in the past. It does not rain back down on you but it does evaporate.

    This is not a good situation but is not the end of the world (that doesn’t happen until 2012, assuming the movie is a documentary and not fiction)

    David for working blow out preventers

  4. positivethinking on May 2nd, 2010 7:50 pm

    This “spill” is so much worse than people are letting on. It’s a leak that is continually gushing oil into the ocean, and there has been no way found yet to stop it. All of this ocean water does condense and form clouds, which are going to move and rain oil on locations far and wide. Praying for divine intervention here.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News