NOAA opens 8K square miles of closed waters, making two-thirds of Gulf available for fishing

NEW ORLEANS – NEW ORLEANS (AP) — More than 8,000 square miles of closed fishing waters have been reopened in the Gulf of Mexico because no oil has been observed there.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Wednesday said the most significant opening is an area south of Mississippi, which was closed Monday. Smaller areas also were opened off the Louisiana and central Florida coasts.

The federal agency said closing fishing in the area was a precaution to safeguard seafood from the Gulf.

Meanwhile, more oil is gushing after an undersea robot bumped a venting system. BP has been forced to remove a containment cap.

The current worst-case estimate of what's spewing into the Gulf is about 2.5 million gallons a day.