The decision was taken after extensive lab testing and negotiations between state fisheries managers and the federal government. The decision come late because the commercial industry facing expansive precautionary closures because of past oil sightings that stretch from eastern Lake Pontchartrain around the mouth of the river and west to Morgan City.
After BP placed a cap atop the stricken well in the Gulf there were few oil sightings. More than 500 fish, shrimp, crab and oyster samples in the state showing no signs of contamination from oil, the state is continuing to push the federal Food and Drug Administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to allow them to move forward with reopening other commercial fishing grounds west of the river.
Randy Pausina, assistant secretary for fisheries at the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, said that there’s been no indication that any seafood is even remotely close to being at any level of concern. Reopening commercial fishing is a touchy subject for both the state and federal governments, and the thousands of people who rely on catching, distributing and cooking Gulf seafood for a living. Being too cautious costs money in the short term, but the risk of tainted seafood reaching the market could have widespread repercussions for Louisiana’s seafood brand.
After series of conflicts between state fisheries managers and the FDA and NOAA over the strength of testing requirements needed to reopen an area, the FDA released a new protocol for reopening fishing grounds that is designed to keep up with the large volume of fish samples coming in from across the Gulf Coast.
