BATON ROUGE - Today, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced the reopening of certain state inshore and Gulf of Mexico waters that were previously closed due to oiling from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Waters will be open ½ hour before sunrise on Monday, August 4, 2014.
LDWF is re-opening these areas to commercial fishing pursuant to agreements by state and federal officials for re-opening waters closed as a result of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. These areas will also be re-opened to all recreational fishing.
The waters to re-open are as follows:
- A portion of the upper Barataria Basin centered near Bay Jimmy and Bay Batiste with the exception of a 100-yard shoreline buffer from any shoreline
- All waters within the Birdsfoot Delta of the Mississippi River
- Areas surrounding the Grand Terre Islands with the exception of an area one quarter mile seaward from the Gulf-facing shoreline
- The area seaward between Elmer's Island and Fourchon Beaches with the exception of a one-quarter mile area seaward from the Gulf-facing shoreline.
LDWF will continue monitoring conditions to determine whether additional waters can be re-opened or whether additional closures are warranted. Reports of oil, tarballs or tar mats should be reported to the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802 and the La. State Police at 1-877-925-6595.
State rules, regulations and seasons for individual saltwater species are still effective within these areas. To view current regulations click here: http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/regulations
To view maps detailing these modifications and the latest updates on the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill please visit: www.wlf.louisiana.gov/oilspill
The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana's abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.louisiana.gov, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb, or follow us on Twitter @LDWF.
For press inquiries, contact Rene LeBreton at rlebreton@wlf.la.gov or 504-286-8745.
