16-21-MMS| March 25, 2016
BILOXI, Miss. – The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources will conduct a crab trap gear closure for commercial and recreational crab fishermen beginning at 6 a.m. Tuesday, April 5, 2016 through 6 a.m. Thursday, April 15.
From April 5-11, crabbers must remove their own traps from the designated closure areas, which is all waters south of Interstate 10, out to 100 feet from the main shoreline. The closure areas include any river, bayou, creek, canal, stream, tributary, lake, bay, inlet, channel or other water source entering areas defined as salt waters under the jurisdiction of the MDMR. See attached maps.
Any crab trap found in the designated closure areas from April 12-14 will be considered derelict and is subject to removal by participants approved and registered within the MDMR’s Blue Crab Restoration Program.
The MDMR will fund the program using disaster funds received in 2014 as a result of the damages to the crab fishery from the 2011 opening of the Bonnet Carre spillway.
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.
[ Download PDF ]
