PRESS RELEASE

LDWF Announces Significant Reopenings to Commercial Crabbing in Plaquemines, St. Bernard and Orleans Parishes

Baton Rouge (August 21, 2010) - Today, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, in coordination with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has ordered an emergency reopening of commercial crabbing in areas east of the Mississippi River and the northern shore of Pass a Loutre that were previously closed due to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Effective immediately today, August 21, all state inside and outside territorial waters east of the Mississippi River and north of the northern shore of Pass a Loutre and 29 degrees 12 minutes 40 seconds north latitude are open to the commercial harvest of crabs

LDWF Secretary Robert Barham ordered these reopenings following the completion of comprehensive testing by the FDA. The FDA advised that following extensive sensory testing and analytical chemistry results, the crab samples tested from previously closed areas are safe for consumption.

The following areas remain closed to all commercial fishing including commercial crabbing until further notice:

• the portion of state inside and outside waters north of 29 degrees 59 minutes 30 seconds north latitude and south of the Mississippi/Louisiana state line from the Louisiana territorial sea boundary westward to 89 degrees 15 minutes 00 seconds west longitude, and
• the portion of state inside and outside waters north of 29 degrees 36 minutes 30 seconds north latitude and south of 29 degrees 59 minutes 30 seconds north latitude from the Louisiana territorial sea boundary westward to a line extending 1 mile west from the western shore of the Chandeleur Islands, and
• the portion of state inside waters north of 29 degrees 45 minutes 00 seconds north latitude and south of 29 degrees 59 minutes 30 seconds north latitude from 89 degrees 09 minutes 00 seconds west longitude westward to 89 degrees 15 minutes 00 seconds west longitude, and
• the portion of state inside waters north of 29 degrees 47 minutes 00 seconds north latitude and south of 29 degrees 51 minutes 00 seconds north latitude from 89 degrees 15 minutes 00 seconds west longitude westward to 89 degrees 22 minutes 00 seconds west longitude.

All Louisiana commercial fishing closures as detailed on the commercial fishing maps posted to the LDWF website remain unchanged.

• For maps detailing these commercial openings, click here
• For detail sheet one, click here
• For detail sheet two, click here
• For detail sheet three, click here

For more information related to the oil spill, visit http://www.emergency.louisiana.gov. Connect with us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/GOHSEP and on Twitter as @GOHSEP at http://www.twitter.com/GOHSEP. View photos from the state's response efforts at http://www.flickr.com/photos/lagohsep.

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