July 23 Update: NOAA announced yesterday that it is re-opening 26,388 square miles of Gulf waters to commercial and recreational fishing in the southeastern portion of the closed area. The reopening of these areas took effect July 22 at 6 p.m. ET.
Since mid-June, NOAA data have shown no oil in the area, and United States Coast Guard observers flying over the area in last 30 days have also not observed any oil. Additionally, trajectory models show the area is at a low risk for future exposure to oil, and fish caught in the area and tested by NOAA experts have shown no signs of contamination.
NOAA will continue to take samples for testing from the newly re-opened area, and the agency has also implemented dockside sampling to test fish caught throughout the Gulf by commercial fishermen. NOAA will continue to evaluate the need for fisheries closures based on the evolving nature of the spill and will re-open closed areas as appropriate.
A map with the location of the re-opened areas can be found at http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/deepwater_horizon_oil_spill.htm On the Weather Front
Winds are forecast to be ENE on Friday. Forecasters say we may see increased wind and waves in our area this weekend due to the tropical disturbance which is projected to track west northwestward across the Gulf of Mexico with a possible landfall near eastern Louisiana late Saturday. Franklin County is NOT currently included in any tropical watch or warning areas. Weather is tricky however, so please check all appropriate weather sources for up to date and official information. NOAA officials have not projected any additional oil impacts from the disturbance and Franklin County is also not included within the area of oil impact zone within the next 72 hours. As the days pass without any impact from oil, officials say Franklin County's future threat level is also diminishing due to a weathering of the oil and the successful July 15 capping of the Deepwater Horizon wellhead. Given the evolving nature of the Gulf oil plumes, we are providing links to the official State of Florida sources of information for the following topics:
For official trajectory and forecast information: NEW!!! Apalachicola webcam shows the downtown view of the Apalachicola River.
If you are planning a trip to Franklin County and are concerned about impacts, tourism officials encourage you to check with local lodging providers in order to get the most up-to-date information. To make it easy, we’re providing you a direct link here to all of Franklin County’s accommodations. If you have questions about seafood safety, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services recently launched a seafood hotline to provide up-to-date information on Florida’s fisheries. The Florida Seafood Hotline, 1-800-357-4273, is updated daily at 2 pm and provides information on what state waters are open and other information about Florida's seafood. Forgotten Coast TV is taking daily video beach reports from several locations in Franklin County. Watch all of the Video Beach Reports here. Now you can also see the Franklin County Beach Report on CNN's ireport website.
|
| |
No comments:
Post a Comment