According to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries it had consulted with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the reopening of some close fishing areas in the state. The department said in a statement that commercial fishing reopened for finfish and shrimp in portions of state waters in Lafourche, Terrebonne, Plaquemines and Jefferson parishes.
The agency said that some adjustments were made to the areas closed to recreational fishing west of Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River. Those areas closed to commercial fishing now match the areas closed to recreational fishing. The seafood samples were tested and the result showed the fish are safe for consumption.
The officials informed that the reopenings do not include the commercial harvest of crabs and oysters. The FDA testing method for crabs takes significantly longer to process. Some of the environmental damage to the Gulf of Mexico since the April 20 rig explosion and subsequent spill appears to have abated in recent weeks.
The press release of NOAA states that the agency has reopened 5,144 square miles of Gulf waters on Tuesday for commercial and recreational fishers to catch finfish, saying that since July 3 its data have shown no oil in the area.
