September 3, 2019

Red Snapper season to reopen Sept. 6 through Sept. 8

BILOXI, Miss. –The recreational fishing season for Red Snapper will reopen in Mississippi territorial waters on Friday, September 6, 2019 at 12:01 a.m. and close on Sunday, September 8, 2019 at 11:59 p.m.

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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September 3, 2019

MDMR tagging, tracking Atlantic Tripletail

BILOXI, Miss. – Through a Sport Fish Restoration grant, the Office of Marine Fisheries at the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) is studying and tracking Atlantic Tripletail using pop-up satellite tags.

Up to 10 Atlantic Tripletail will be tagged in Mississippi waters by the end of September 2019. The initial tagged fish was captured and released on August 21, 2019, and was the first-ever Atlantic Tripletail equipped with a satellite tag in the Gulf of Mexico. The satellite tag data will provide MDMR staff with substantial information on migratory patterns and seasonal movements of Atlantic Tripletail.

Found in Mississippi waters during warmer months when the species is widely believed to spawn, Atlantic Tripletail are not known to inhabit these same waters in the cooler months of the year. While little is known about their preferred habitat usage during those cooler months, MDMR staff hope to gain a better understanding of their migratory patterns which will help the agency better manage this increasingly popular sport fish.

MDMR requests anglers torelease and report any of these tagged Atlantic Tripletail. Tagged fish can be reported to the MDMR Sport Fish hotline at 844-704-2359. For more information, contact Wade Hardy with the MDMR Finfish Bureau at 228-374-5000.

Photo courtesy MS Department of Marine Resources

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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August 29, 2019

MDMR hosting photo contest for 2020 calendar

BILOXI, Miss. – The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources is hosting a photo contest, and the winners will be used in the agency’s 2020 calendar.

The deadline to submit entries is Thursday, Oct. 24.

Submitted photos should depict an aspect of the marine resources available on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, including recreational and commercial fishing, Coastal Preserves, marine plant and animal life, marsh areas, boating and Mississippi seafood. Since the photos will be used in a high-quality reproduction, submitted images must be a high resolution JPEG or .jpg file, 3 MB or greater in size, 300 dpi and a horizontal format.

Entries should be digital and emailed to publicaffairs@dmr.ms.gov by Oct. 24, along with the photographer’s first and last name, phone number, brief description or title of the photo, where it was taken and photos numbered (if submitting more than one photo).

Photos previously submitted for the agency’s calendar are not eligible. For all photos submitted, photographers maintain copyright; however, photographers authorize MDMR to maintain use of all photos submitted in promoting or marketing in any future publications.

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]

August 27, 2019

Red Snapper season to reopen Aug. 31 through Sept. 2

BILOXI, Miss. –The recreational fishing season for Red Snapper will reopen in Mississippi territorial waters on Saturday, August 31, 2019 at 12:01 a.m. and close on Monday, September 2, 2019 at 11:59 p.m.

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]

August 27, 2019

Reminder regarding state law prohibiting catch or possession

of female sponge crabs

BILOXI, Miss. – The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources would like to remind fishermen of the laws prohibiting the catch or possession of female sponge crabs, or egg-bearing crabs.

By state statute and CMR regulation, it is unlawful to catch, hold or have in possession any female sponge crab or any female crab bearing visible eggs at any time. It is not unlawful to catch those crabs unintentionally, if the crabs are immediately returned to the water.

Photo courtesy USM Gulf Coast Research Laboratory

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]