Large plume of oil are nearing Florida and one has been detected nine miles south of the Pensacola Pass, reports visitflorida.com. The plume is two miles wide and goes south for 40 miles. Skimming vessels and other response assets have been dispatched to the area.
Meanwhile, dime to five inch-sized tar balls and tar patties continue to be found in widely scattered areas of Northwest Florida. Cleanup teams continue to work on the scene. According to Visit Florida, there have been no reports of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill-related oil products reaching the shore beyond the Northwest Florida region.
The Health Department issued a health advisory for the area extending from the Florida-Alabama line to the entrance of the Perdido Unit, Gulf Islands National Seashore.
Over the week-end, the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) issued an executive order to temporarily close a portion of coastal state waters offshore of Escambia County to the harvest of saltwater fish, crabs and shrimp. The FWC is taking precautionary actions regarding harvest and consumption of these marine species, which may be affected by oil from the BP Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
The closure includes state waters from the beaches out 9 nautical miles into the Gulf from the Alabama line east to the Pensacola Beach water tower. Interior bays and estuaries remain open to fishing. This area covers approximately 23 miles of Florida’s coastline in Escambia County, where oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill is now present.
Recreational catch-and-release fishing is still allowed as long as saltwater fish are not harvested or possessed in the closed area.
Oysters, clams and mussels are not included in the closure, because they are not expected to be affected by oil in the area. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services carefully monitors populations of these shellfish.
Currently, there are no beach closures and the majority of Florida’s state waters remain open to recreational fishing. Florida’s 825 miles of beaches, 1,260 miles of coastline and 14 seaports, including cruise ships, remain open for business.
