from The News Service of Florida
Federal officials on Tuesday re-opened federal waters off the Florida Panhandle to commercial and recreational fishing, saying that National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data have shown no oil in the area.
The Coast Guard also says it hasn’t seen any oil in the last 30 days in the 5,144-square mile area of the Gulf, allowing it to be cleared for fishing. Officials in Gulf states, including Florida, were part of the decision, a statement from NOAA said.
The closure has stunted Florida’s Panhandle fishing industry, even though large swaths of the Gulf remained open to fishing throughout. Confusion among the general public about where fishing was allowed was particularly problematic for charter fishing captains, who have seen clients drop off heavily in the last few months. It also has led to a downturn in seafood sales with customers wary of possible impacts from the BP spill.
“Consumer safety is NOAA’s primary concern, which is why we developed rigorous safety standards in conjunction with the FDA and the Gulf states to ensure that seafood is safe in the reopened area,” said Jane Lubchenco, undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “We are confident that Gulf fish from this area is safe to eat and pleased that recreational and commercial fisherman can fish these waters again.”
Gov. Charlie Crist praised the move.
“The federal waters off beautiful Northwest Florida are once again open for fishing, and Florida’s commercial and recreational fishermen are eager to get back to work,” Crist said in a statement.
“I join them in celebrating this much-needed boost to our economy and quality of life,” he said. He then invited people to come to the Panhandle to go to the beach and “enjoy Florida’s delicious seafood.”
NOAA officials said they sampled 153 finfish, including grouper, snapper, tuna and mahi mahi, from the area from June 27 through July 20.
“Scientists found no detectable oil or dispersant odors or flavors, and results of chemical analysis well below the levels of concern,” NOAA said.
”We know how important it is to the culture and economy of this region to get back out on the water and be able to once again harvest the seafood that the Gulf is famous for,” said Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg, commissioner of food and drugs.
“But our top priority in the wake of this disaster must be the safety of the fish that makes it to market. We are confident that the proper processes have been followed, and that consumers can feel good once again serving their families seafood from these waters,” she said.
NOAA said it will continue to take samples for testing from the newly re-opened area, and the agency has also implemented dockside sampling to test fish caught by commercial fishermen.
After Tuesday’s announcement, the closed area in the Gulf now includes 52,395 miles, or 22 percent of federal waters in the Gulf, down from 37 percent at its largest. NOAA had already re-opened about 26,000 square miles of the eastern Gulf off of Florida last month.
With Tuesday’s action, fishing is allowed in an area that gets as close as about 115 miles from the Deepwater Horizon wellhead that was leaking oil.