Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has issued an executive-order suspending all fishing and crabbing for human consumption in areas affected by last week’s San Francisco Bay oil spill until at least Dec. 1, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
The affected areas include San Francisco Bay, along with shoreline and bay waters of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Mateo, Solano and Sonoma counties. As the fuel has drifted beyond the Golden Gate, the ban also encompasses ocean waters impacted by the spill.
Fishermen concerned about the 58,000-gallon spill had requested the move, which delays Thursday’s scheduled start of the highly anticipated commercial season for Dungeness crab and interrupts the catch for sportfishermen, AP reports.
The decision all but confirms that commercial crabbing season, which was to start on Thursday, won’t start before Dec. 1.
Here are some details on the cleanup (PDF).