Crist asks BP for $50 million more as Commerce Secretary declares 'fisheries failure' in Florida (UPDATE with CLOSURES MAP)

TALLAHASSEE — Florida’s commercial fishermen caught a small break Thursday as they were allowed to join their Gulf state counterparts who qualify for federal assistance in the wake of the worst oil spill in U.S. history.

Meanwhile, Gov. Charlie Crist on Thursday asked BP for another $50 million to pay for additional protective measures and compensate first responders for past efforts and the expectation that they’ll be on the job for at least 30 more days. If approved, the payment would bring BP’s total Florida compensation to $100 million.

About 37 percent of the Gulf of Mexico is closed. Here is the latest fishery closing map.

“It is critical that Florida be provided the resources to respond swiftly and effectively to safeguard our shores and estuaries from the continuing potential impact to our shores,” Crist wrote.

Crist's request followed a $69 million bill sent to the British oil giant by the federal government.

Following up on a Crist request Wednesday, U. S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke declared that federal fisheries closures and looming threats to Florida waters have caused significant harm to Florida commercial fishers and charter boat operators.

Locke declared an official “fisheries failure” for Florida, which joins Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama in eligibility for federal grants, low interest loans and other assistance to businesses ravaged since the April 20 explosion and ongoing oil spill from the BP oil rig Deepwater Horizon.

The state’s top wildlife official, however, stressed Thursday that Florida’s fisheries so far remain relatively unscathed and he’s fearful that the federal declaration may be easily misconstrued.

“This doesn’t mean that all our fisheries have failed. It doesn’t mean that our fisheries are even closed,” said Nick Wiley, executive director of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said “What it means is that because of economic impacts primarily due to federal closures our commercial fishers are being impacted and impacted severely.”

Florida fishermen are being squeezed as the spill continues to take up more aquatic real estate.

Federal regulators on Wednesday expanded the no-fish zone in the Gulf, leaving more than a third of Gulf's federal exclusive economic zone off limits to commercial and recreational fishers. No changes were made to the no-fish zone Thursday.

Holding up a plastic container filled with oil sludge collected in Florida waters, Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Michael Sole said earlier Thursday that oil sheen looms six miles off Florida’s northern shores and is expected to come ashore over the weekend.

“We need to be pretty much at our highest level of preparedness right now,” Sole said.

Further, sea currents that have been so favorable to clean-up efforts may soon change and send oil rushing into the now well-known loop current that will send the remnants of the BP spill around the Florida peninsula and into the Gulf Stream.

A circular current that now contains the bulk of the spill is now only 20 miles from the Loop current and the distance is shrinking.

State meteorologist Amy Godsey said if trends continue, the two currents will connect in the next 48 to 72 hours, sending oil toward the Florida Keys and eastern seaboard.

“Once those connect, that’s it,” Godsey said. “And it won’t take much.”