Fishing advisory issued for Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) advises anglers and boaters in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties in Northwest Florida that oil from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill could soon reach coastal waters of these counties. Oil spill trajectory projections formulated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) indicate that these areas could experience some amount of oiling in the next 72 hours, but these projections carry a degree of uncertainty.

In addition to the NOAA projections, the FWC is conducting airborne and waterborne surveillance to definitively establish the presence and extent of oil, to guide management actions. In the interim, the FWC cautions people to avoid any oil they might encounter on the water while fishing or boating.