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| Excessive closures
reversed. 26,000 miles of Gulf reopened to fishing.
26,388
square miles
of Gulf waters to commercial and
recreational fishing on Thursday, July 22. The reopening of a third of
the overall closed area was announced by NOAA/NMFS after consultation
with FDA and under a re-opening protocol agreed to by NOAA, the FDA, and
the Gulf states.
Since mid-June, NOAA data have shown no oil in the area, and United
States Coast Guard observers flying over the area in the last 30 days
have also not observed any oil. Additionally, trajectory models show the
area is at a low risk for future exposure to oil, and fish caught in the
area and tested by NOAA experts have shown no signs of contamination.
“Today’s decision is good news for Gulf fishermen and American
consumers,” Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said. “Following the best
science for this re-opening provides important assurance to the American
people that the seafood they buy is safe and protects the Gulf seafood
brand and the many people who depend on it for their livelihoods.”
At its closest point, the area to be reopened is about 190 miles
southeast of the Deepwater/BP wellhead, and the area where the majority
of fishing will occur is about 220 miles from the wellhead, along the
west Florida shelf.
Read the entire press release
at
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/mediacenter/docs/072310_reopening_july10.pdf
NMFS latest update page:
http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/deepwater_horizon_oil_spill.htm
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Gulf Oil Spill Update 09
July 7, 2010 |
| Here are the best reference
websites for oil information: Roffer's -
http://www.roffs.com/deepwaterhorizon.html
National Marine Fisheries Service SE regional office page (most current
oil closure page)
http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/deepwater_horizon_oil_spill.htm
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| The FRA continues to press Florida
to take the lead in stopping the use of underwater dispersant in federal
waters. |
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| Gulf Oil Spill Update 08
June 1, 2010 |
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click
for larger picture
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NMFS announces 31% of
Gulf EEZ closed as of 6 PM Eastern today.
Closed areas now include parts of West
Florida shelf. No further LA areas were closed.
Read more as NMFS updates its
website.
http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/deepwater_horizon_oil_spill.htm
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Information and links
NMFS
closures and maps
Spill
hotline
866 577
1401
BP claims
hotline
1-800-440-0858.
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click
for larger picture
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The latest from Mitch Roffer at
ROFFS.
www.roffs.com |
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Gulf Oil Spill Update 07
May 25, 2010 |
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LA, MS, AL declared Federal
Fisheries Disaster areas.
Economic impact of the Deepwater
Horizon spill triggers declaration for Alabama, Louisiana and
Mississippi, opening the door to federal disaster relief funds.
Florida is NOT AFFECTED by this
declaration at this time. Florida quickly polled its stakeholders
and found them to be in agreement that Florida, although threatened, has
not experienced any loss of fishing at this time.
Chief among stated concerns from
constituents was the effect the spill is already having on the fishing
and tourism industries. Florida has responded with a beefed up
tourism ad campaign.
Click here for the press release. |
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click for larger view |
NOAA increases closed areas, 22% of Gulf federal waters now closed.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010: An updated closure is beginning
effective 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
The closure measures 54,096 sq mi (140,109 sq km), which is slightly
more than 22% of the Gulf of Mexico exclusive economic zone. The
majority of federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico are open to commercial
and recreational fishing.
click here for NOAA's press release and closure update |
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click for larger view |
May 24th report from ROFFERs.
Special THANKS to Dr. Mitch Roffer for sharing these valuable reports
with us.
The Loop Current continues to carry
the oil along its eastern edge. A possible break in the current
could keep the oil from getting into the Florida Straights and the
Gulfstream.
Read the entire press release at
www.roffs.com
Full details at
http://www.roffs.com/deepwaterhorizon.html
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Florida declines to request Federal Fisheries
Disaster Declaration.
Citing the lack of any disaster, Florida
today decided NOT to seek a fisheries disaster declaration.
There is no Florida fishing or Florida
beaches affected by the spill at this time. Misperceptions have
caused trip cancelations and delay or shifting in bookings for most Gulf
captains and recreational fishing operations, resulting in significant
economic impact. In fact, the fishing is great right now.
None of Florida is affected and the National Marine Fisheries Service
states that "we
encourage people to take advantage of fishing opportunities in the open
areas. NOAA has been working to limit the effect on
people/businesses while ensuring public health and safety. To
alleviate ambiguity, let me state that NOAA is not contemplating a GOM-wide
fishery closure." Russell Dunn,
National Policy Advisor for Recreational Fisheries,
Office of the Assistant Administrator,
NOAA Fisheries
FLORIDA FWC EMERGENCY MEETING
Last week, the FWC's emergency meeting in
St. Pete Beach spelled out the Commission's actions, plans and
contingency plans to an estimated 200 citizens in attendance at the
Tradewinds Resort.
The Coast Guard briefed the
commission, followed by FL Dept of Environmental Protection, FL legal
counsel, the head of the FL's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and
others.
FL has had contingency plans since
the early 1990's. These plans have been continuously updated to
the point that FL now has a full digital capability for pinpointing,
tracking and storing ecosystem information.
We all need to go fishing as much
as possible, and encourage all of our friends to do the same.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, May 24, 2010
News Media Contact:
Shannon Gilson, 202-482-4883,
sgilson@doc.gov
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke
Announces Fishery Failure Determination
in Gulf of Mexico
WASHINGTON – U.S. Commerce
Secretary Gary Locke today determined there has
been a fishery disaster in
the Gulf of Mexico due to the economic impact on commercial
and recreational fisheries
from the ongoing Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The affected
area includes the states of
Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
“We are taking this action
today because of the potentially significant economic hardship
this spill may cause
fishermen and the businesses and communities that depend on those
fisheries,” Locke said. “The
disaster determination will help ensure that the Federal
government is in a position
to mobilize the full range of assistance that fishermen and
fishing communities may
need.”
Locke made the determination
under Section 312(a) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. The
declaration was made in
response to requests from Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and
Mississippi Governor Haley
Barbour based on the loss of access to many commercial
fisheries and the existing
and anticipated environmental damage from this unprecedented
event.
Since May 2, the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has closed
a portion of federal waters
affected by the spill to commercial and recreational fishing.
This closure area, which is
based on the scientific trajectory of the spill, now includes 19
percent of federal waters in
the Gulf of Mexico, largely between Louisiana state waters at
the mouth of the Mississippi
and the waters off Florida’s Pensacola Bay.
“We stand with America’s
fishermen, their families and businesses in impacted coastal
communities during this
challenging time,” Locke said. “Commercial and recreational
fishing provides vital jobs
to the region and is essential to the Gulf Coast’s unique culture
and heritage.”
Commercial fishermen in the
Gulf harvested more than 1 billion pounds of fish and
shellfish in 2008. In
addition, there are approximately 5.7 million recreational fishermen
in the Gulf of Mexico region
who took 25 million fishing trips in 2008.
The administration has
requested $15 million of supplemental funding as a backstop to
address this disaster, as
well as $5 million of economic development assistance through
the Economic Development
Administration. In addition, the administration is requesting
unemployment coverage for
this disaster, and the Small Business Administration is
offering economic injury
disaster loans, which can help fishermen and other affected
businesses. However, the
administration expects that BP and any other responsible
parties will cover the full
costs of economic damages to and restoration of these fisheries.
NOAA’s mission is to
understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from
the depths of the ocean to
the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal
and marine resources. Visit
NOAA at
http://www.noaa.gov
or on Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/noaa.lubchenco.
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| Gulf Oil Spill Update 06
May 18, 2010 |
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Click on map to view closure area.
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National Marine
Fisheries Service expands closure notice.
19 percent of the Gulf of Mexico EEZ
is CLOSED to fishing of any kind as of 6PM eastern today. Read the
latest bulletin:
click here
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Click on map for enlarged view.
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More from ROFFER's.
The oil appears to be slipping into the loop current,
as witnessed by NMFS' latest closure. Click here for Mitch Roffer's excellent
oil spillpage:
http://www.roffs.com/deepwaterhorizon.html
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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission is holding an emergency meeting about the oil spill in St. Pete Beach
on Wednesday, May 19th beginning at 8 AM. To watch it on FRA's Fish Eye
TV, click here
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Gulf Oil Spill Update 05
May 17, 2010
(edited/updated 12:45 PM eastern)
UPDATE AS OF 12:45 PM:
NMFS announces 10% of USA Gulf is closed as of 6
PM eastern, May 17, 2010.
FROM NMFS:
NOAA Fisheries Constituent and
Stakeholders - We have posted a modification to the closure area on our
Southeast Regional office website at.
http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/ Attached is a map of the
new closure area.
Briefly, NOAA Fisheries is
expanding the western, southwestern and southeastern boundaries of the closure
to encompass most of the reported actual location and projected path of the oil
based on initialization data and the 48-hour trajectory. Specifically:
* NOAA Fisheries is extending
the western and southwestern
boundaries slightly to the
south to capture oil reported outside
the current boundary.
* We are extending the southeastern boundary by about
60 miles to
encompass the full extent of the main slick. We are
not
attempting to capture a smaller, isolated mass
located farther to
the southeast. We determined it is not practical to
incorporate
such masses into the closure because we expect them
to move
quickly and erratically and to frequently change in
size and
dimension.
The closure measures 24,241 sq mi
(62,784 sq km), which is about 10% of the GOM EEZ as compared to the May 14th
closure comprising 19,377 sq.
mil (8% of the GOM Federal
waters).
Florida
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Emergency Meeting
Scheduled for
this Wednesday, May 19, at the
Tradewinds Hotel in St. Pete Beach.
"The FWC will
do everything possible to protect Florida's fish and wildlife," Chairman Rodney
Barreto said. "We've called this meeting because this is an unprecedented
situation. Not only could the oil spill affect our natural resources, it's
already affecting the livelihoods of our commercial fishermen, guides and
charter boats and other tourism-related businesses."
Read more at
http://www.myfwc.com/NEWSROOM/10/statewide/News_10_X_OilSpill6.htm
ROFFS
update warns that oil may already be in the Loop Current.
click for larger view. For full text
and pictures, go to
http://www.roffs.com/deepwaterhorizon.html
Gulf Oil Spill Update 04 May
14, 2010
We will continue to update you as information is
distributed.
NMFS expands fishery closure today:
Click here for full information on
the NMFS website.
NMFS latest closure map.
Click for larger view.
ROFFER'S latest image.
Click for larger view. Click
HERE for the atest detailed
report from Mitch.
From the state of Florida:
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Response – FWC Information Sheet
Updated 5/13/10
The FWC is working with NOAA and the U.S. Coast Guard and taking direction in
Florida
from the lead agency, the Department of Environmental Protection ,
regarding the
Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Below are some important web
sites and
contacts to assist in directing public and media inquiries.
Online Resources
The following web sites provide details and updates regarding the oil spill.
http://MyFWC.com/oilspill
- Centralized FWC
information relative to the spill. This
site also includes links to additional resources.
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/default.htm
- Florida Department of
Environmental Protection’s web site dedicated to Florida’s response efforts.
http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com
– Joint Information Center’s web site.
FWC to meet in St. Pete Beach May 19th.
Click
here for the News Release.
Gulf Oil Spill Update 03 May
12, 2010
See below for Roffer's and Hilton's charts.
Also, read the NMFS press release about the new closure area in the Gulf.
Click on the image for Gulf currents and oil spill
position from Roffer's.
This is from Tom Hilton of Hilton's Offshore. The closed area overlay
shows the locations of the affected rigs.
NMFS latest fishing closure press release:
Contact: Kim Amendola, 727-403-6533 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Shelley
Dawicki, 727-551-5754 May 11, 2010
NOAA
Modifies Fishing Closed Areas in Gulf; 93 Percent Remains Open
Designs New
Process to Improve Timeliness of Closure Information
NOAA’s
Fisheries Service has modified the area closed to fishing in the Gulf of Mexico
due to the BP oil spill, which will include federal waters seaward of Louisiana
state waters in the vicinity of Timbalier Island to waters off Florida’s
Choctawhatchee Bay.
These
changes will leave more than 93 percent of the Gulf’s federal waters open for
fishing, and supporting productive fisheries and tourism. The changes will take
effect at 6:00 p.m. EDT today.
NOAA also
will expedite updates to the areas closed to fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, as
well as public notice of those changes. The closure process is being improved to
cut down on the red tape necessary to modify the boundaries of the closure area.
And beginning today, area boundaries could be modified daily, based on where and
how fast the oil spill is moving.
NOAA will
provide daily updates at
http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov
by 12:00 p.m. EDT. Any changes to the closed area will become effective at 6
p.m. EDT the same day. The six-hour window is meant to give fishermen time to
retrieve their gear from any areas that are about to close, and advance notice
of areas that will soon open for fishing. A status message will be updated
daily, even when closed area has not changed. This message will also be
available on NOAA Weather Radio and by calling NOAA Fisheries southeast regional
office at 727-824-5305.
“We’ve met
with Gulf fishermen over the last few weeks and understand their need to receive
rapid information,” said Eric Schwaab, NOAA assistant administrator for NOAA’s
Fisheries Service. “NOAA stands shoulder to shoulder with Gulf coast fishermen
and their families during these challenging times. Providing frequent updates
about closed areas will allow fishermen to make good business and recreational
decisions throughout this oil spill event, and will maintain public confidence
in seafood from the Gulf of Mexico.”
Changes to
the area closed to all fishing will be based on the present location and
trajectories of the oil spill, which are affected by wind speed and direction,
currents, waves, and other weather patterns. Adjustments will take into account
fisher and consumer safety, while keeping open those areas not affected by the
oil spill.
“Our plan is to use this new expedited process to open fisheries as well,” said
Roy Crabtree, NOAA’s Fisheries Service southeast regional administrator. “If an
area no longer exhibits oil and we determine through analysis that fish and
shellfish are safe to eat, we will re-open that area to commercial and
recreational fisheries.”
In the
meantime, NOAA strongly advises fishermen not to fish in areas where oil or oil
sheens are present, even if they are outside the closed area.
Fishermen
interested in being hired by BP to help clean up from the spill and deploy boom
in the Gulf of Mexico should call 281-355-5511. Fishermen who wish to contact BP
about a claim should call 800-440-0858.
NOAA’s mission is to
understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of
the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and
marine resources.
Visit us at
http://www.noaa.gov
or on Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/usnoaagov.
Gulf Oil Spill Update 02 May
6, 2010
click for May 05 position and currents information
Results of May 5th Federal Fisheries Conference Call
Federal fisheries officials briefed 140 stakeholder representatives on the Gulf
oil spill during a conference call on May 5th. Eric Schwaab,
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, and Dr. Jane Lubchenco Under Secretary of
Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator presented NMFS plans
regarding the closure of fisheries in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico that
are being most affected by the oil spill.
They assured stakeholders that a priority is
being place on maintaining fishing activity wherever possible and that NMFS has
made the oil spill its
highest priority.
Consideration is being given to opening Red Snapper
season early for the recreational sector. There was a warning of causing more
damage to a stock by relaxing restrictions. NMFS is looking at tracking any
fishing effort being depressed by the spill could result in consideration of a
delayed closure date for Red Snapper.
NMFS officials stated that they were open to the
concept, but must do it (early season openings, season extensions) in a way that
is equitable. Officials also discussed acting to get the word out that we can
still fish. Participants expressed the need to fund advertising that tells
people that it is OK to fish.
Dr. Lubchenco expressed that NMFS views the oil
dispersant chemicals less toxic than the oil itself. Great concern over the
toxic damage caused by the dispersants being worse than the damage done by the
oil itself was voiced by several call participants.
NMFS is committed to keeping fishing open in all
unaffected areas, according to Eric Schwab, Assistant Administrator of National
marine Fisheries Service.
NMFS is looking at all possibilities to maintain
fishing activity as well as the nation’s perception that fishing in the Gulf is,
in most cases, still OK and not being immediately threatened.
Gulf Oil Spill Update 01 May 4, 2010
Please read the release from ROFFER'S OCEAN FISHING FORECASTING SERVICE, INC.
detailing the position and potential movement of the oil spill in the Gulf of
Mexico.
The FRA will be on a conference call tomorrow afternoon with National Marine
Fisheries Service leaders regarding the oil spill's effects on fisheries and
fishing. The FRA will report to you the issues and scenarios discussed.
We will watch for and encourage local efforts to mitigate damages from
encroaching oil.
Special thanks to Dr. Mitch Roffer of ROFFER'S OCEAN FORECASTING for
providing us with the following valuable information.
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ROFFER'S OCEAN
FISHING FORECASTING SERVICE, INC.
TOLL
FREE 800 677-7633 & (321) 723-5759 // EMAIL: FISH7@ROFFS.COM
ROFFS™ FISHERIES
OCEANOGRAPHIC SPECIAL PRESS RELEASE FOR THE DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL
AREA (LAT./LONG.)
“OIL REACHES THE
LOOP CURRENT”
UPDATED ON
TUESDAY 04 MAY 2010
Roffer's Ocean
Fishing Forecasting Service, Inc., (ROFFS™) continues to send out alerts
to numerous people including legislators, emergency managers, and the
fishing
community to
keep them informed of the changing nature of the Deepwater Horizon oil
spill and how it might impact the environment along with their fishing
grounds. Our
efforts (see
http://www.roffs.com/deepwaterhorizon.html)
are similar to our work after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (http://www.roffs.com/katrina.htm).
These satellite images
and sequential
image analyses are derived from NASA (MODIS Aqua and Terra), NOAA (15,
16, 17, 18, and 19), and European (MERIS) satellites. Sequential image
analysis is critical in allowing us to follow and determine the
difference between the Mississippi River Plume and the surrounding oil
from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
If we can map
the changing conditions it will allow others to prepare with significant
advance warning for the eventual landfall of this oil. It is much better
to prevent the
oil from
reaching the coastal zones than cleaning it up after it negatively
impacts the ecosystem and substantially affects the economy. The value
of a clean coastal ecosystem is tremendous for everyone. Please keep in
mind the as the oil travels through the Loop Current “conveyor belt” and
southeastward towards the Florida Current and Gulf Stream it mixes with
the water column and becomes weathered. Weathered oil is heavier and
begins to sink in the water column thus having a greater impact on the
bottom and the organisms (tuna, dolphin, marlin, sailfish, kingfish,
sharks, wahoo, grouper, snapper, plankton, bait, etc.) that live within
the water column.
Presently, the oil spill continues to spread westward toward Louisiana
while at the same time spreading eastward towards Florida panhandle and
southeastward towards
several eddy
features that are associated with the Loop Current. The shape and
location of this oil spill is dynamic and is constantly changing and
developing due to a
combination of
local currents and winds, as well as, larger scale features such as the
Loop Current and Loop Current eddies associated with it. South of the
South Pass, LA area we observed a large counter-clockwise rotating eddy
(centered near 89°05’W & 27°35’N) that appears to be pulling a finger of
oil south/southwestward along 87°50’W which was observed as far
southward as 28°35’N yesterday (Monday). It also now appears that some
of the oil has reached the northeastern side of the eddy system
associated with the Loop Current eddy centered near 87°15’W & 28°00’N.
While there are dynamic ocean conditions in this area, it is likely that
some of this oil will continue to travel southeastward reaching the
east/northeastern edge of the Loop Current “conveyor belt”. Please keep
in mind that this is just a relatively small filament of the oil
(approximately 10 miles wide) in proximity of the Loop Current
influence. Each day the currents change and the winds and currents will
be changing on a day-to-day basis, as will the effects of the oil
movements in relation to the Loop Current. When the oil is picked up by
the Loop Current it will be transported by the Florida Current/Gulf
Stream system to the Florida coastal zones including the Florida Keys,
the east coast of Florida and many areas northward. It is possible that
the oil will move as far as Cape Hatteras in the Gulf Stream. Remember
that there is an abundance of oil related to the spill and the first
arrival of the oil may not be as devastating as the continued transport
of the oil in the Florida Keys and east coast of Florida depending on
how this oil spreads, blends with the water column, and weathers as it
travels along with the Loop Current towards the Florida Current and Gulf
Stream.
Note also that while the oil is warm underground the deeper ocean waters
are relatively cold. By the time the oil reaches the surface it is
cooler than the surrounding
waters and we
have been able to see the oil due to its cooler signature in both
infrared and visible satellite imagery. As it warms on the surface it
becomes indistinguishable
from the
infrared satellite imagery, but it remains observable using visible (RGB)
satellite data. We remind everyone that subsurface oil and byproducts
also present significant problems to the environment. Today, we are
attaching an image of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico and the location
of the oil spill that was derived using a combination of satellite
imagery from Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. We are also attaching an
image showing the eastern side of the Loop Current, and the Florida
Current/Gulf Stream system off of the Florida Keys and the east coast of
Florida that was derived from Tuesday morning’s satellite imagery. We
will continue to monitor the situation and update our analyses of the
current ocean conditions on a daily basis when possible. View the latest
alert and maps from Roffer's Ocean Fishing Forecasting Service, Inc. at
http://www.roffs.com/deepwaterhorizon.html
or contact ROFFS™ at (800) 677-7633 or via email at fish7@roffs.com.
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Click on thumbnail below for much larger
view. May 04, 2010
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