The federal government banned commercial and recreational fishing yesterday along a wide swath of the Gulf of Mexico, as a widening oil spill devastated marine life and threatened coastlines.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shut down the waters for at least 10 days to prevent fishermen from catching tainted seafood and to allow officials to perform tests.
“Balancing economic and health concerns, this order closes just those areas that are affected by oil,” NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco said. “There should be no health risk in seafood currently in the marketplace.”
The moratorium spans four states: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. It’s a serious blow to the region, which accounts for 20 percent of the country’s commercial seafood production.
Experts said Louisiana’s fishing industry could suffer a $2.5 billion loss.