PANAMA CITY BEACH — State Rep. Jimmy Patronis said Tuesday’s reopening to fishing of more than 5,000 square miles of federal waters off Florida’s Panhandle could help save the month of August for local fishermen.
In addition, lifting the ban will help alleviate fears among fish lovers around the country that Gulf of Mexico seafood from near Florida’s coastline was safe to consume, said Patronis, R-Panama City.
With President Barack Obama scheduled to spend a couple of vacation days this weekend in Panama City Beach, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration administrator Jane Lubchenco called the area “the fishing capital of the world” in making the announcement from Capt. Anderson’s Marina.
“I say to fishermen, let’s go fishing,” Lubchenco said, noting that the reopened area includes 5,144 square miles from just east of Pensacola to Cape San Blas. About 22 percent of federal Gulf waters remain closed because of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster, down from near 37 percent in early June.
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