Information on Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill
On April 22, 2010, BP's Deepwater Horizon oil rig, located approximately 50 miles off Louisiana's coast in the Gulf of Mexico, exploded and sunk. In addition to the tragic loss of life, thousands of barrels of oil a day are being released into the Gulf, with potentially disastrous effects on the region's fish and wildlife.

On May 2, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that recreational and commercial fishing will be restricted for a minimum of ten days in federal waters between Louisiana state waters at the mouth of the Mississippi River to waters off Florida's Pensacola Bay. A map of the emergency rule closure boundary and information on how to submit claims to BP for loss and damage caused by the spill can be found at www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2010/20100502_fisheries.html Additionally, the state of Louisiana has closed select fishing areas in response to the oil spill. To view a map of the closed area in Louisiana, visit www.wlf.louisiana.gov/news/?id=1799

According to a 2008 NOAA Fisheries report, the Gulf of Mexico is one of the most popular areas for recreational fishing in the United States with nearly six million saltwater anglers, taking over 45 million fishing trips each year, fishing for red drum, spotted seatrout, sheepshead and red snapper among others. Recreational fishing contributes $41 billion dollars in economic output in the Gulf Coast region annually and supports over 300,000 jobs. Recreational fishing serves as the economic backbone for many coastal communities surrounding the Gulf of Mexico. The oil spill has the potential to impact the nearly 2,300 tackle shops in Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida's West Coast. Six million anglers combines resident and non-resident saltwater anglers in Alabama, Florida's West Coast, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas who fish in the Gulf of Mexico.

The following websites have updated information on the spill and describe federal and state response and recovery efforts.

Federal
* Department of Homeland Security
* Environmental Protection Agency
* NOAA Office of Response and Restoration
* U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

State
* Alabama Department of Environmental Management
* Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
* Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
* Mississippi Department of Marine Resources
* Texas Parks and Wildlife