The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are taking additional inspection measures to ensure that seafood from the Gulf of Mexico reaching America’s tables is safe to eat. The strategy includes precautionary closures, increased seafood testing inspections and a re-opening protocol.

The first line of defense is NOAA’s fishery area closures, which began May 2 and are adjusted as the spill trajectory changes. The current federal closure of 32 percent of federal waters encompasses areas known to be affected by oil, either on the surface or below the surface, as well as areas projected to be affected by oil in the next 48 - 72 hours. The closed area also includes a five-nautical-mile buffer as a precaution around the known location of oil.

To help prevent tainted seafood from reaching the market, NOAA created a seafood sampling and inspection plan. Just after the beginning of the spill, it collected and tested seafood of commercial and recreational fish and shellfish species from areas where oil from the spill had not yet reached. NOAA is using ongoing surveillance to evaluate new seafood samples to determine whether contamination is present outside the closed area. If fish samples have elevated levels of oil compounds, NOAA will consider whether to expand closed areas.

The FDA has set up a hot-line for reporting seafood safety issues. Fisherman and consumers are encouraged to report potential contamination to 1-888-INFO-FDA.