DHH closes harvesting in Area 13

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals announced Monday that oyster harvesting in bed Area 13 has been closed as a precautionary response to the oil spill in the Gulf.

According to the release, the closure is west of the Mississippi River in Lafourche and Jefferson parishes, while Areas 8 through 12, also west of the Mississippi, remain open.

DHH officials have been working closely with local, state and federal agencies to monitor the oil plume that continues to grow off of the Louisiana coastline for its potential impacts on oyster harvesting areas. Meanwhile, employees with DHH’s Office of Public Health Molluscan Shellfish Program have continued its regular testing throughout 8 million acres of coastal waters along the Louisiana shoreline.

In addition, according to the release, DHH scientists and engineers are conducting enhanced testing, called hydrocarbon testing, of oyster meat taken from the closed beds to monitor the presence of oil.

Additional testing is also being conducted in unaffected oyster beds. These tests will create a baseline, which will be used to ensure the safety of oysters to reopen beds once the leak has been stopped.

Oysters being harvested in unaffected areas and oysters taken prior to closures of the affected beds are safe to eat.

The statement also reminds harvesters that closures were issued by DHH for areas 2 through 7 on April 30 and areas 14 and 15 on May 8.

Furthermore, closures will remain in effect until officials have determined that environmental conditions are within the requirements specified by the National Shellfish Sanitation Program.

Visit www.emergency.louisiana.gov for more information related to the oil spill, including a map of the closures.