( CNN ) -- All federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico closed to fishing because of last year 's oil spill have reopened , the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Tuesday , one day before the one-year anniversary of the disaster . The announcement came as the administration reopened the final 1,041 square miles of waters immediately surrounding the Deepwater Horizon wellhead , just east of Louisiana . No oil or sheen has been found in the area since August 4 , NOAA said in a statement . NOAA sampled the area in November , March and April for potentially affected fin fish , including tuna , swordfish and escolar . The analysis of samples found `` no detectable oil or dispersant odors or flavors , and results of chemical analysis for oil-related compounds and dispersants well below the levels of concern , '' the statement said . The decision to reopen the waters was made after consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration . `` Throughout this process , public health and safety has been our primary goal , '' said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg . `` This has been an extraordinary team effort and the reopening of these federal waters serves as a dramatic example of what cooperation between federal agencies can accomplish . '' The April 20 explosion on the Deepwater Horizon led to the worst oil spill in U.S. history , with more than 200 million gallons of oil released into the Gulf . At its peak in June , 37 percent of Gulf waters , or 88,522 square miles , were closed to fishing . Also Tuesday , Omega Protein Corp. announced the final settlement of its claims for costs and damages incurred as a result of the spill . In total , the company received payments of nearly $ 45 million from the Gulf Coast Claims Facility , it said .
The law opens all federal waters formerly closed because of the BP oil spill . No oil or sheen has been detected in the waters since August . Wednesday is the one - year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon disaster .