U.S. declares fishery disaster in 3 Gulf of Mexico states
08:50, 25 May 2010
WASHINGTON. May 25. KAZINFORM U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke on Monday determined there has been a fishery disaster in the Gulf of Mexico due to the economic impact on commercial and recreational fisheries from the ongoing Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The affected area includes the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama; Kazinform refers to Xinhua.
"We are taking this action today because of the potentially significant economic hardship this spill may cause fishermen and the businesses and communities that depend on those fisheries," Locke said in a statement.
"The disaster determination will help ensure that the Federal government is in a position to mobilize the full range of assistance that fishermen and fishing communities may need," he said.
The declaration was made in response to requests from Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour based on the loss of access to many commercial fisheries and the existing and anticipated environmental damage from this unprecedented event; Kazinform cites Xinhua.
See www.xinhuanet.com/english2010/ for full version