Mississippi panel approves Oct. 13 openings, sack limits for parts of 2025–26 oyster season

Jason (staff member) told the Mississippi Advisory Commission on Marine Resources on Sept. 16 that staff recommends opening specific Western Mississippi Sound areas for the 2025–26 oyster season and setting daily limits. "We recommend the staff recommends to the executive director that the agency open area 2 A, area 1 b, area 2 b, area 2 e, area 2 f, Area 2 G, 2 H, and Area 2 I in in the Western Mississippi sound for oyster season. Season will open on October 13. The daily sack limit will be set at 15 sacks per day per vessel for tongers, 20 sacks per day per vessel for dredgers," Jason said during his presentation. The recommendation followed a staff presentation summarizing reef assessments and planting since 2017. Jason reported staff sampling across reef complexes, noting about 927 acres planted since 2017 and an estimate of roughly 275,000 sacks present on state reefs. He said the commission’s customary 30% harvest guideline corresponds to about 82,000 sacks for the statewide estimate. Director (staff) praised the shellfish bureau’s briefing to the commission: "I was very impressed when I saw the oyster briefing that was done by our shellfish bureau, and I was very impressed with what we have and where we're at." After questions from commissioners, a motion to approve the staff recommendation passed by voice vote without a recorded roll call. The daily sack limits, listed by gear type, and the Oct. 13 opening date are measures staff said were developed in consultation with harvesters at a stakeholders meeting on Sept. 2. Jason described time-temperature and rainfall-closure rules, season-length scenarios, and a harvest-mapping app and hotline that staff will use to notify harvesters about area closures and limit changes. Staff framed the recommendation as an attempt to increase available harvest area while maintaining processor and market stability; Jason said staff and the industry would reassess limits if weather or market conditions require change. The commission approved the motion to adopt staff’s recommendations; no recorded no or abstain votes were entered in the meeting transcript. Implementation steps that staff described include launch of a digital harvest map and a text-notification system for closures and limit changes. Staff also said they will continue monthly reef monitoring and adjust recommendations if monitoring or industry needs change. Less urgent details: staff presented reef-by-reef data (for example, Henderson Point and Pass Christian reefs showed heavy market-sized oysters concentrated on culture plants) and discussed recruitment and spat sets from August. The commission scheduled its next meeting for Oct. 21 at the Jackson County Board of Supervisors.