After scientists and fishermen have found severe deformities in a substantial percentage of Gulf seafood, the State of Alabama have moved to shut down shrimping.

WERC-FM local news reports:

Some area waters along the Gulf Coast will close to shrimping starting today. The areas closed are all waters in the Mississippi Sound, Mobile Bay, areas of Bon Secour, Wolf Bay, and Little Lagoon. The closure comes after scientists found smaller than average population of shrimp and lesions . They say the plan to test the water and will continue to run samples until the waters are re-opened. There is no set time when the waters will be open for shrimping again

Local ABC affiliate WEAR TV reports:

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has temporarily closed some local waterways to shrimping.

The waters were closed to shrimping on Monday.

The areas include all waters in the Mississippi Sound, Mobile Bay, areas of Bon Secour, Wolf Bay, and Little Lagoon.

The closure is in response to routine shrimp sampling that indicated the average size were smaller than 68 head-on shrimp per pound. Meaning biologists found smaller than average shrimp in the waters causing the temporary closure. They will continue to take samples in these areas and determine any modifications to the closures.

And we’d like to clarify that the closures were not due to lesions being found on shrimp as we reported earlier this weekend and Monday morning.