2024 PUBLIC OYSTER HARVEST
SEASON INFORMATION
The 2024 Mississippi Public Oyster Season shall open for the harvest of market-sized oysters on November 13, 2024 and December 9, 2024, beginning at legal sunrise, in the conditionally approved waters of Area I “B”, Area II “A”, Area II “B”, Area II “E”, Area II “F”, and Area II “G” and the approved waters of Area II “H” and Area II “I”. These areas will open to harvest provided they meet all criteria for opening as specified in Title 22 – Mississippi Department of Marine Resources – Part 1 Rules and Regulations for Molluscan Shellfish Related Activities, and under the oyster season requirements set forth in the opening order. All other areas and waters of the State of Mississippi currently remain closed to the public harvest of oysters.
MANAGEMENT PLAN/OPENING AND CLOSING ORDERS
- Molluscan Shellfish Growing Waters Management Plan
- Order Closing Area II “B” to the Harvest of Oysters
- Opening Order for the 2024 December Mississippi Public Oyster Season
- Order of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources Closing Areas Area I “B”, Area II “A”, Area II “B”, Area II “E”, Area II “F”, Area II “G”, Area II ”H” and Area II “I” Conditionally Approved Waters To the Harvest of Oysters
- Order of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources Closing Area I “B” and Area II “A” Conditionally Approved Waters To the Harvest of Oysters
- Order of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources Closing Area II “B” Conditionally Approved Waters To the Harvest of Oysters
- Opening Order for the 2024 November Mississippi Public Oyster Season
The 2024 Mississippi Public Oyster Season shall not exceed 11 days of harvest after each initial opening day. All Mississippi water and public or private reef areas therein shall remain closed on Sundays and the following days: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.
The maps below depict areas permitted for oyster harvest in the Western Mississippi Sound, the tonging box, and growing water classifications. The tonging box is designated for tonging activities only and is defined as the coordinates listed here. Per Title 22 Rule 4.2.K, it is unlawful for any boat or vessel engaged in harvest within the tonging box to have an oyster dredge on board. Harvesters may obtain information on areas open for direct molluscan shellfish harvest by calling the 24-hour Oyster Information Hotline at 1-288-374-5167/1-800-385-5902 or by using the interactive map below. The interactive map provides real-time location services for harvesters, along with color-coded indicators (red or green) to show the current open or closed status of specific growing areas.
| TONGING BOX CORNER ID | LATITUDE (DECIMAL DEGREES) | LONGITUDE (DECIMAL DEGREES) |
|---|---|---|
|
Northwest Corner (NW) |
30.305286 |
-89.252012 |
|
Northeast Corner (NE) |
30.309192 |
-89.23854 |
|
Southeast Corner (SE) |
30.285583 |
-89.238978 |
|
Southwest Corner (SW) |
30.285535 |
-89.252264 |
SACK LIMIT AND TAGGING
The sack limit for commercial and recreational vessels is as follows:
- RECREATIONAL: All recreational harvest is limited to three (3) sacks per recreationally licensed resident individual per seven (7) day period. All Mississippi recreationally licensed harvesters must obtain a recreational harvest tally card at the check-in/out stations prior to their initial harvest trip.
- COMMERCIAL: The MDMR has established the commercial oyster tonging vessel daily limit of ten (10) sacks and a commercial oyster dredging vessel daily limit of twenty (20) sacks. Individual(s) must also harvest oysters from said licensed vessel. No commercial vessel shall possess over the daily catch limit by any manner or exceed any experimental limit as may be established.
- COMMERCIAL PERSONAL USE: All commercially licensed Mississippi resident individuals and/or vessels are allocated for up to three (3) sacks for personal use per seven (7) day period, these sacks of oysters shall be counted towards the daily commercial sack limit for that boat or vessel. Said sacks shall be tagged with tags identifying them as “Personal Use” and may not be sold. “Personal Use” is hereby defined for purposes herein as “any use other than for sale or intent to sell”.
REQUIRED FEES
On the day of harvest, all harvesters, commercial and recreational, are required to pay a shell retention fee per sack harvested. Only correct change will be accepted and no tags will be issued to harvesters until the required fee is paid. Tags for purchase are as follows:
- White Tags – Shellstock that is commercially harvested form growing areas classified as approved, conditionally approved, in the open status and under conditions that allow for direct marketing for raw consumption.
- All harvesters selling to a certified dealer or processor are required to pay on the day of harvest, a shell retention fee of fifteen cents ($0.15) per sack harvested.
- All harvesters selling directly to the public are required to pay on the day of harvest, a shell retention fee of thirty cents ($0.30) per sack harvested
- The initial dealer, processor or factory first purchasing Mississippi oysters are required to pay a shell retention fee of fifteen cents ($0.15) per sack to the MDMR, on forms submitted by the MDMR no later than the 10th day of the month following the purchase.
- All commercial harvesters selling their oysters through interstate commerce are required to pay on the day of harvest, a shell retention fee of fifty cents ($0.50) per sack harvested.
- Red Tags – Shellstock harvested for personal use and sale is prohibited.
- All commercial harvesters are required to pay on the day of harvest, a shell retention fee of thirty cents ($0.30) per sack harvested.
- All recreational harvesters are required to pay on the day of harvest, a shell retention fee of fifteen cents ($0.15) per sack harvested.
Two check stations will be in operation, one at Pass Christian and the other at Bayou Caddy. Tags, trip tickets, and notification slips will be provided by the MDMR at these sites from 7am – 4pm.
LICENSES FOR PUBLIC OYSTER HARVEST
Per Mississippi Code 49-15-46, each vessel used to catch, take, carry or transport oysters from the reefs of the State of Mississippi for commercial use, shall annually, before beginning operations, be licensed by the department and pay a license fee.
License | Fee | Permit Required | MS Harvester Education Required | Drivers License/Boat Registration Required | Lease Agreements Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 – Recreational Tonging | $10 | N/A | Yes | Yes / Yes | N/A | MS Code: 49-15-46 Follow MDMR Opening/Closing and Harvesting Regulations |
Harvest not allowed.
Mississippi Harvester Education Training is required in order to purchase an oyster harvest license. Certifications are valid for five years after completing the training. If a renewal or initial certification is needed, please register for a scheduled training based on the specified dates listed below by contacting the MDMR Shellfish Bureau at (228) 523-4088 or emailing oyster@dmr.ms.gov. In-person sessions will be held at the Bolton Building located at 1141 Bayview Ave in Biloxi, MS. Virtual sessions are also available and will be held through Microsoft Teams.
HARVESTER EDUCATION TRAINING OFFERINGS
| DATE | TIME SLOT | CLASS TYPE |
|---|---|---|
|
October 30, 2024 |
9am, 10am, 11am, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm |
In-person at the Bolton Building |
|
November 4, 2024 |
9am, 10am, 11am, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm |
In-person at the Bolton Building |
|
November 8, 2024 |
9am, 10am, 11am |
In-person at the Bolton Building |
|
November 8, 2024 |
1pm, 2pm, 3pm |
Virtual |
RULES AND REGULATIONS
All harvesters engaged in oyster harvesting activities shall follow the rules and regulations stated in Title 22 – Mississippi Department of Marine Resources – Part 1 Rules and Regulations for Molluscan Shellfish Related Activities, including but not limited to:
- A license issued by the MDMR is required to take molluscan shellfish from the waters under the territorial jurisdiction of the State of Mississippi.
- All molluscan shellfish taken from waters of the territorial jurisdiction of the State of Mississippi must:
- Be properly tagged and taken legally from an area declared open for harvest by the MDMR Authority.
- Be accompanied by a trip ticket that indicate the check-out time, must remain with the catch until final delivery and must be available for inspection with the molluscan shellfish by an MDMR Authority.
- Harvesters are permitted to use a dredge that weighs 115 pounds or less and has a tooth bar with 16 or less teeth. All dredge teeth must be five (5) inches or less.
- Harvesters are permitted to use a hand dredge that weighs 40 pounds or less and have a tooth bar with 10 or less teeth. All dredge teeth must be five and one quarter (5¼) inches or less. When using a hand dredge, it is illegal to use a mechanical advantage retrieval system. A hand dredge must be retrieved by hand.
- Basket dredges are not permitted for use in Mississippi waters.
- Harvesters are not permitted to use more than two (2) dredges.
- All boats or vessels used in the harvest or transport of shellfish are required to have on board, a functional, approved marine sanitation device (MSD), portable toilet or other sewage disposal receptacle to contain human sewage.
- The MSD must meet the requirements set forth by the most current version of the NSSP Model Ordinance.
- All molluscan shellstock taken from permitted harvesting areas by any person, firm or corporation must measure three (3) inches or more from end to end. End to end measurement is the greatest length from the hinge to the bill. It is unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to purchase, sell or possess molluscan shellfish harvested from public reefs that are under the legal-size limit.
- Any person, firm or corporation harvesting molluscan shellfish must first register on the day of harvest with the MDMR.
- Check stations will operate from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time when the area is open for harvest or until the final harvester that checked in for the day has checked out.
- All shellfish harvesting activities must cease prior to 4:00 p.m. each day and all fishermen must be checked out at the appropriate check station by 4:00 p.m. If a harvester does not return to a check station by 4:00 p.m., all shellfish harvested that day will be confiscated by an MDMR Authority.
- Any exception to these conditions due to unforeseen circumstances must have prior approval by an MDMR Authority.
- All molluscan shellfish must be properly tagged immediately upon landing on the date of harvest.
- All shellstock must be packed in clean containers before the boat or vessel leaves the reef from which they were harvested.
- Molluscan shellstock harvested from state-owned reefs must be culled according to MS Code 49-15-38.
- Harvesters must immediately scatter and broadcast evenly, all dead shells, small oysters, and oysters in excess of the daily sack limits onto the natural reefs from which they are taken.
- A ten percent (10%) tolerance by number is allowed in relation to any culling. The ten percent (10%) tolerance is determined from a representative sample of ten percent (10%) of the total catch.
- It is unlawful to transfer molluscan shellfish from one vessel to another vessel, until vessels have been checked out at the designated landing location.
- While engaged in the harvest of molluscan shellfish, it is unlawful for any boat or vessel to tow or to be tied to any other boat or vessel licensed for shellfish harvesting.
- It is unlawful for any boats or vessels engaged in the harvest of molluscan shellfish to fail to be continuously manned by a qualified person capable of operating the boat or vessel from the time of check-in for the day until the time of check-out.
- Upon registration, while harvesting, or upon check-out, each person may be required to show their license to an MDMR Authority.
- It is unlawful for any harvester engaged in harvesting molluscan shellfish on a tonging reef to have an oyster dredge on board the boat or vessel.
- All private on-bottom oyster leases shall be marked with corner markers and no public harvest shall occur within those boundaries.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Any questions regarding the 2024 Mississippi Public Oyster Season can be directed towards the MDMR Shellfish Bureau.
| INFORMATION CONTACT | PHONE NUMBER |
|---|---|
|
Shellfish Bureau |
(228) 374-5000 or oyster@dmr.ms.gov |
|
Marine Patrol Dispatch |
(228) 523-4134 |
|
Oyster Information Hotline |
(228) 374-5167 or 1-800-385-5902 |
|
Pass Christian Check Station – 104 South Market Street, Pass Christian, MS 39571 |
(228) 293-4653 |
|
Bayou Caddy Check Station – 5200 Shipyard Road, Bay St. Louis, MS 39520 |
(228) 293-4654 |
