Obama Administration Closes Parts of Ocean in Government Shutdown

The Obama administration has closed off parts of the ocean around Florida to public access as part of the government shutdown, Breitbart.com reported.

Until government funding is restored, the National Park Service says Florida Bay will remain closed and charter boats are prohibited from taking fisherman into 1,100 square miles of open ocean waters.

Biscayne National Park is also off limits and park rangers will be on site to ensure boaters don't enter the water, reports The Citizen in Key West in an article carried online by the Miami Herald.

The shutdown is expected to impact the tourism industry, including internationally popular fishing tournaments in the Florida Keys.

The shutdown of national parks has angered Republican lawmakers, who this week passed a funding measure to reopen the landmarks and memorials but the Democratic-controlled Senate has refused to consider the bill.

Earlier this week, World War II veterans, dozens of them in wheelchairs, broke through a barrier guarded by armed park police to access the memorial honoring their service.

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