Washington (CNN) — The federal government closed more federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico to fishing Tuesday, dealing another blow to the region's fishing industry, while lawmakers for a second day held hearings to assess the response to an enormous oil spill in the coastal waters.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has shut down fishing in 19 percent of the Gulf over which the federal government has jurisdiction, NOAA administrator Jane Lubchenco said Tuesday. That's up from 10 percent that NOAA had ordered closed to fishing Monday. On Friday, the agency had closed 8 percent.
The expansion means 45,728 square miles are now closed to fishing. Lubchenco called the expansion "one part of a proactive stance that NOAA is taking to ensure public safety and seafood safety."
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