The lower Terrebonne Parish waters closed on Saturday were reopened to recreational and commercial fishing late last night (May 16) by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries officials.
Click here to see the latest detailed closure map by Capt. Paul Titus.
The openings came after test results showed that the oily substance found on Friday’s catch of a fishing vessel was not related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, LDWF Secretary Robert Barham said in the news release.
Now reopened were inshore waters south of 29 degrees 19 minutes 59 seconds north latitude and north of 29 degrees 10 minutes 16 seconds north latitude and between 91 degrees 21 minutes 09 seconds west longitude at Point au Fer to longitude 90 degrees 39 minutes 00 seconds west longitude near Cocodrie.
Also reopened were state offshore waters from Point au Fer eastward to 91 degrees west longitude.
Barham said Saturday’s closure was a precautionary measure intended to allow testing aimed at ensuring public safety. His agency said such closures will be implemented whenever reports of new oiled areas are received, and will be reassessed once test results are analyzed.
“Our department remains on high alert as we make daily assessments of state water ways,” Barham said. “I want people to be out there fishing – this is the Sportsman’s Paradise – but at the same time the safety of our seafood must be a top priority.”
