16-40-MMS| June 6, 2016
BILOXI, Miss. – More than 250 boats filled the Mississippi Sound before daylight Monday, waiting for the start of this year’s shrimp season.
Officials with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources said fishermen they talked to reported good catches on the opening day of the season.
“The fishermen that braved the weather reported decent catches of 50-60/60-70 brown shrimp with a good number of 16-20 white shrimp mixed in,” said Rick Burris, director of MDMR’s Shrimp and Crab Bureau.
“We were unable to perform our routine aerial vessel survey due to the tropical storm that currently is in the Gulf,” he added. “However, we were able to get out on the wter and estimate about 255 shrimp vessels in the Mississippi Sound, with the majority working south of Deer Island.”
Burris said there could be more boats in the water in the next couple of days as the weather improves.
MDMR announced last week that shrimp season would begin June 6. The season opens in Mississippi territorial waters when the agency’s sampling confirms shrimp have reached the required legal size of 68-count per pound.
Photo courtesy Mississippi Department of Marine Resources
Cutline: About 255 boats were in the Mississippi Sound on Monday for the beginning of shrimp season.
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources is dedicated to enhancing, protecting and conserving marine interests of the state by managing all marine life, public trust wetlands, adjacent uplands and waterfront areas to provide for the optimal commercial, recreational, educational and economic uses of these resources consistent with environmental concerns and social changes. Visit the DMR online at dmr.ms.gov.
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