Deepwater Horizon: NOAA reopens portion of GoM closed to fishing
July 23, 2010
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has reopened 26,388 sq mi (68,345 sq km) of Gulf of Mexico waters to commercial and recreational fishing today.
Offshore staff
NEW ORLEANS – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has reopened 26,388 sq mi (68,345 sq km) of Gulf of Mexico waters to commercial and recreational fishing today. The area was closed due to the oil spill and subsequent plume of hydrocarbons.
NOAA says area to be reopened is about 190 mi (306 km) southeast of the Deepwater/BP wellhead, and the area where the majority of fishing will occur is about 220 mi (354 km) from the wellhead, along the west Florida shelf.
No fish caught in the area tested position for contamination, and the trajectory estimates put the area at low risk, says NOAA.
