More Gulf waters reopened to commercial, recreational fishing; about 10 percent still closed

Government reopens more Gulf waters to fishing

PASCAGOULA, Miss. — Another portion of the Gulf of Mexico has been reopened to commercial and recreational fishing after federal scientists found no oil contamination to bar consumption of seafood.

The 2,927 square-mile area is located off eastern Louisiana, about 40 miles south of the BP well that spewed more than 200 million gallons of oil before being capped. About 90 percent of Gulf federal waters are now open to fishing.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says no oil or sheen has been found in the area since July 31.

Roughly 23,000 square miles remain closed.

At the height of the spill, about 37 percent of federal waters in the Gulf were closed.

Officials say all seafood caught in the reopened areas is safe to consume.