The federal government officially declared the Gulf of Mexico a fisheries disaster Tuesday evening, closing all fisheries in the area.
The disaster area, now covering more that 22 percent of the federal waters in the Gulf, was expanded from the previous disaster declaration of Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi.
Fishing for commercial or recreational purposes is prohibited in closed areas.
READ MORE:
- It's Official: A Fisheries Disaster (NY Times Green Blog)
- Feds Declare Gulf Fisheries Disaster (Food Safety News)
- Deepwater Horizon Incident, Gulf of Mexico (NOAA Emergency Response)