Today, NOAA reopened about 5,144 square miles of Gulf waters off the Florida panhandle to commercial and recreational fishing. The reopening was announced after consultation with the US Food and Drug Administration, under strict protocols agreed to by all parties involved.
NOAA data has shown no oil in the area since July 3rd, and Coast Guard observers flying over the Gulf over the past 30 days have found no oil. At its closest point, the area reopened is about 115 miles northeast of the Deepwater/BP blown wellhead.
NOAA sampled 153 finfish from the area over a period from June 27th to July 20th, and chemical testing of the fish found no detectable oil or dispersant odors or flavors. According to NOAA, results of the chemical analysis were found to be well below the levels of concern. NOAA will continue to conduct testing in the reopened area, and also has implemented dockside sampling to test fish caught by commercial fishermen.
The remaining closed area of the Gulf of Mexico now covers 52,395 miles, or 22 percent of the federal waters in the Gulf, down from 37 percent at its height. On July 22, NOAA reopened 26,388 square miles of Gulf waters off of the Florida Peninsula. These are considerable improvements considering the scope of the Gulf oil spill.
These reopening may mean better economic times for commercial fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico. This could in turn favor the seafood market locally in the Capital District of Albany and upstate New York, which has seen a spike in prices since the April 20th spill.
Also, the Atlantic hurricane season has been very quiet so far this year, which has helped with the recovery effort in the Gulf. The forecast calls for increased activity as we near the peak of the hurricane season in early September, so this will have to be watched continuously.
For more information on the Gulf oil spill, click here.
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Comments
I sure hope these waters are being reopened because they're actually *safe*, and not because a corporation thinks it's more profitable. I'm so worried about the Gulf. Excellent report.
I hope so too...according to NOAA, multiple tests are being done continuously on the fish in these waters. It is quite a catastrophe that has occurred and it's good to see some positive in this region.
I will Never, Never, Never buy seafood from the Gulf, Never!
Anyone who wants to take that risk, help yourself! Good Luck!
B.S. I say. Scientist reported oil in Blue Crab Larve. Scientists said the it will make it way up the food chain.. .and guess what! We're part of that food chain. Personally, I think we the public are being snookered. Its all about the money. CBS news reported on Aug.9, 2010; "Crabs are big business in the region. In Louisiana alone, some 33 million pounds are harvested annually, generating nearly $300 million in economic activity." The article went on to say; "Tulane University researchers are investigating whether the splotches also contain toxic chemical dispersants that were spread to break up the oil but have reached no conclusions, biologist Caz Taylor said."
We need to know why the NOAA report for the 2003 oil spill in Buzzards Bay is still not complete after eight years ! Mitt Romney the governor at the time is looking to run for president in 2012 !
Mitt Romney was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from Jan 2,2003 to Jan 4,2007. During his one term the Buzzards Bay oil spill happened during April 2003 .
On April 27, 2003, eight years ago the Bouchard Barge B-120 hit an obstacle in Buzzards Bay, creating a 12-foot rupture in its hull and discharging an estimated 100,000 gallons of No. 6 oil. The oil is known to have affected an estimated 90 miles of shoreline, killed 450 numerous bird species, and recreational use of the bay, such as shell fishing and boating.
Since the 2003 oil spill the US Coast Guard has appealed the 2004 Massachusetts Oil Spill Prevention Act and one Massachusetts property damage lawsuit has dragged on for eight years. Republican Mitt Romney is laying the groundwork for a possible White House campaign in
Since more oil seeps naturally into these waters, there would be nothing alive in the Gulf if it were all that toxic.
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