The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating an oily sheen spotted in the Gulf of Mexico last month (September) near the site of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill  40 miles south of the Mississippi River. Samples of the sheen taken near the site of the failed BP Macondo oil well have been sent to the service's Marine Safety Lab in Groton, Conn., to determine whether the oil is from the BP spill, said Lt. Commander Michael Wolfe.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will host a workshop next week to gather public input on Gulf of Mexico gag grouper. The workshop focus will be determining the public’s preferred dates for the 2013 Gulf gag grouper recreational fishing season. Potential changes to the Gulf of Mexico gag grouper bag limit will also be discussed.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is proud to announce that its year-old Black Bass Management Plan is producing remarkable results.

Implementation of the plan last summer was expected to create significant ecological, economic and social benefits for Florida. More than 7,500 anglers provided input, as did a technical assistance group representing fishing-related businesses, university experts, professional anglers, outdoor media and fishing guides.

The Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries has approved several fishing regulation changes related to creel and length limits in public waters.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene a meeting of its Law Enforcement Advisory Panel in conjunction with the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission's Law Enforcement Committee.  The meeting will be held at the Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, One Grand Boulevard, in Point Clear, Alabama, Wednesday, October 17, 2012, from 8:30 am until noon.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene a meeting of the Special Reef Fish Scientific and Statistical Committees (SSC), including a joint session of the Standing SSC and Socioeconomic SSC, and a joint session of the Gulf Council's Standing and Special Reef Fish SSC with the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council's SSC; and a separate meeting of the Socioeconomic Scientific and Statistical Committee. 

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will convene Public Hearings on proposed Reef Fish Amendment 37 addressing revisions to the gray triggerfish rebuilding plan including adjustments to the annual catch limits and annual catch targets for the commercial and recreational sectors. Public hearings will also be held simultaneously on a proposed Framework Action to modify the 2013 recreational gag fishing season, consider changes to the gag bag limit, and consider modifying or eliminating the February 1 through March 31 recreational closed season on shallow-water grouper.

The public hearings will be held from October 15-18, 2012 at eight locations throughout the Gulf of Mexico. The public hearings will begin at 6 p.m. and will conclude no later than 9 p.m.

The Justice Department and BP are appealing a court ruling limiting Transocean’s liability for oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico in the 2010  Deepwater Horizon disaster. In  filings Wednesday (9-19-12) with the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of  Appeals, the government and BP challenge a February interpretation of the Oil Pollution Act by the federal judge overseeing litigation arising from the oil spill.

The trustees for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill have released updated information about the first eight early restoration projects to restore the Gulf after the spill.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency notice amends the notice of a major disaster declaration for the State of Mississippi (FEMA-4081-DR), dated August 29, 2012, and related determinations. Federal domestic assistance may be available to you. 

Effective Date: August 30, 2012.