The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced Thursday that because no oil has been spotted in the area for the last 30 days, it would reopen more than 26,000 miles of Gulf waters to fishing, effective at 6 p.m.
Most of the newly reopened area is southeast of the Deepwater Horizon spill off of Florida's coast -- between 190 and 220 miles away from where the spill originated.
Todays decision is good news for Gulf fishermen and American consumers, said U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. Following the best science for this re-opening provides important assurance to the American people that the seafood they buy is safe and protects the Gulf seafood brand and the many people who depend on it for their livelihoods.
After consulting with the Food and Drug Administration, the NOAA found no signs of contamination to fish caught in the area between June 23 and July 5. NOAA dispatched a vessel to conduct further research and found no signs of contamination. They will continue to test fish caught in the newly reopened waters as well as throughout the Gulf region.
NOAA is working to protect public safety while minimizing harm to the fishing industry, said Dr. Jane Lubchenco, under-secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere, who oversees the NOAA. We are confident that seafood caught in this area is, and will continue to be, free from contamination.
"We are pleased today to be able to fully support the reopening of these waters," said Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg, commissioner of the FDA. "We know it is important to get people back to fishing quickly -- this industry is the backbone of the Gulf region economy. At the same time, we need the American public to be confident in the seafood coming from the Gulf, and the testing that has been done as part of the agreed upon protocols has not indicated any level of concern."
Florida political leaders praised the news.
For nearly 100 days, Floridians have suffered from this tragic event that has injured our environment, economy and quality of life, said Gov. Charlie Crist. The reopening of these waters is an important step in Floridas recovery, and I encourage visitors from around the country and the world to visit our great state to enjoy our renowned fishing grounds. Our beaches are clean and among the most beautiful in the world, and theres no better place to spend your summer vacation than Floridas coast.
Although sporadic reports of oil continue in some areas in Northwest Florida, we are working to expedite the reopening of closed state waters off of the coast of Escambia County for commercial and recreation fishing as soon as the threat from oil is no longer present and our laboratory results are clear, said Rodney Barreto, chairman of the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Florida is the fishing capital of the world, and we encourage residents and visitors to continue enjoying our states abundant coastal waters and beautiful beaches.
"This announcement is great news to fishermen in Florida and their families, said U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, who is running in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate. The BP oil spill has had a terrible impact on those who rely on Gulf waters for their livelihood. Through no fault of their own, these hardworking men and women remain most affected by BP's negligence. But this is only a first step in a long process of permanently stopping the flow of oil and continuing many months of clean-up.
Contact Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or (850) 727-0859
