Commerce department says it’s working to assure American public Gulf Coast seafood is safe

US works to assure public Gulf seafood is safe

BILOXI, Miss. — Commerce Secretary Gary Locke says his agency is working to assure the public that seafood from the Gulf of Mexico is safe.

Locke also says that applies to Gulf seafood already in grocery stores and in restaurants.

He said Thursday in a news conference in Biloxi, Miss., that portions of the Gulf have been closed to fishing to send a signal that seafood harvested from the Gulf is safe.

That decision has brought complaints from fishermen who say the government is overreacting. Some have vowed to keep catching fish.

Locke says a lot of livelihoods are on the line in the fishing industry and that the government wants to make sure the industry continues to thrive and provides food for the American public.