NOAA Reopens Additional Commercial And Recreational Fishing Areas

Effective November 15, 2010 at 6 p.m. eastern time (5 p.m. central time), NOAA will reopen 8,403 square miles (21,764 sq km) of area it had previously closed to commercial and recreational fishing in the Gulf of Mexico in response to the BP/Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Map Link:
http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sf/deepwater_horizon/BP_OilSpill_FisheryClosureMap_111510.pdf

The area closed to all fishing now measures 1,041 sq mi (2,697 sq km). All commercial and recreational fishing including catch and release is prohibited in this closed area. Transit through the closed area is allowed. The next federal re-opening priority is to open the remainder of the closed area, immediately surrounding the Deepwater Horizon/BP wellhead.

The re-opened area was originally closed because oil was present in the area; however, no oil or sheen has been documented in the area since August 5. Trajectory models show the area is at a low risk for future exposure to oil. NOAA analyzed 286 finfish samples for sensory analysis and 207 finfish samples in 33 composites for chemical analysis, including commercially and recreationally important species, such as swordfish, tuna, and mahi mahi. NOAA also analyzed 55 shrimp samples for sensory analysis and 50 shrimp samples in 9 composites for chemical analysis. Sensory testing showed no detectable oil or dispersant odors or flavors in the samples, and the results of chemical analysis were well below levels of concern for oil.

NOAA continues to work closely with the FDA and the states to ensure seafood safety, by closing fishing areas where tainted seafood could potentially be caught, and assessing whether seafood is tainted or contaminated to levels that pose a risk to human health. NOAA and FDA are working together to sample seafood from inside and outside the closure area, as well as dockside- and market-based sampling.

Modeling and mapping the actual and projected spill area is not an exact science. NOAA Fisheries Service strongly advises fishermen not to fish in areas where oil or oil sheens (very thin layers of floating oil) are present, even if those areas are not currently closed to fishing.
Southeast Fishery Bulletin

National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Regional Office, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701-5505
If state waters are closed to fishing due to the oil spill, all vessels must comply with that closure. If state waters are not closed to fishing due to the oil spill, federally permitted vessels may fish in those waters while abiding by all other applicable regulations.

Permit holders are reminded to maintain their federal vessel permits by submitting timely reporting requirements and renewal applications, even if the vessel is not currently engaged in fishing activities.