15-72-CWS | November 3, 2015
BILOXI, Miss. – The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources opened a special oyster dredging/relay season that ends at 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7. This season is open to Mississippi residents only.
The harvest and relay of oysters can occur only in the Natural Resource Damage Assessment cultch plant areas of the Pass Marianne Reef. This NRDA cultch plant site is known as Parcel 7 in Area 2 I. Maps of the areas are available at the MDMR Oyster Check Station in the Pass Christian Harbor.
There is no commercial sack limit for this special season; however all oysters less than 3 inches (seed and spat) harvested on designated NRDA areas in the Pass Marianne Reef must be retained and returned to the water at a site designated by the MDMR.
The 2015-2016 oyster season opens at legal sunrise on Nov. 10. The following conditionally approved waters will be open for harvest:
Area II A (Tonging only): This includes northern portions of the Henderson Point and Pass Christian reefs.
Area II B: This includes portions of the St. Stanislaus and Waveland tonging reefs.
Area II D (Tonging only): This includes the public reefs located between the U.S. 90 Bridge and the CSX Railroad Bridge.
The following conditionally approved waters will be open for tonging or dredging:
Area I B: This includes the Josephs, or St. Joe, Reef.
Area II E: This includes southern portions of the Henderson Point and Square Handkerchief reefs.
Area II F: This includes southern portions of the Pass Christian Reef.
The dredging season currently is scheduled to close at 4 p.m. Dec. 12.
The commercial daily limit for tonging is seven sacks, and the daily commercial limit for dredging is 10 sacks. The limit for recreational harvesters is three sacks per licensed resident in a seven-day period.
All Mississippi waters and public or private reef areas are closed on Sundays and the following holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year’s.
For a complete list of regulations regarding oyster season, visit dmr.ms.gov or call the 24-hour Oyster Information Hotline at 228-374-5167 or 1-800-385-5902.
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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