The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said Friday that it reopened to commercial and recreational fishing 5,628 square miles of Gulf waters off eastern Louisiana, just west of the Mississippi River delta. This is the 7th reopening in federal waters since July 22.

This reopening was announced after consultation with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and under a re-opening protocol agreed to by NOAA, the FDA, and the Gulf states.

"Reopening these critical fishing grounds signals progress and is important for the long-term recovery of the Gulf's commercial and recreational industries," said NOAA administrator Jane Lubchenco in a statement. "Our tests continue to reveal that Gulf seafood is safe for consumption. We will not reopen an area until we are certain the seafood from it is safe."

The total area reopened on Friday is about 2 percent of U.S. federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico and 18 percent of the current closed area, as last modified on Sept. 21. No oil or sheen has been documented in the area since August 6. At its closest point, the area to be reopened is about 75 statute miles south of the BP Deepwater wellhead.