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MDMR reports sampling shows mixed shrimp sizes; department to open season when legal-size targets met
Summary
Marine Fisheries staff presented sampling data showing a seasonal influx of sublegal brown shrimp and year-round presence of white shrimp; department said it opens the commercial season when projected sizes reach legal counts and noted decreased fishing effort on opening days.
Marine Fisheries staff presented the department's annual shrimp-season update, showing that sampling across 10 historical stations finds a seasonal influx of smaller brown shrimp in April–June and a year-round presence of white shrimp; the agency said it opens the season when the projected size reaches the statutory legal count.
Jason, Marine Fisheries staff, described the sampling program and the criteria used to set an opening date under state statute: the department uses a standardized 16-foot otter trawl at historical stations and projects when shrimp will reach 68 count, which staff said is the legal size in Mississippi.
The nut graf: staff said balancing year-round access to legal white shrimp against the seasonal arrival of sublegal brown shrimp is the primary management challenge; gear changes and falling effort complicate species-specific closures.
Staff reported that landings and the commercial value of shrimp in Mississippi have trended downward since about 2017 and that opening-day vessel counts have declined (staff cited 46 vessels on opening day last year). They said those lower numbers reflect reduced effort rather than necessarily lower abundance and that many fishermen now target larger white shrimp later in the summer when market prices are higher.
On sampling this year, staff said some stations already contained a few shrimp near legal size but that many sampled shrimp remain small. "We do have a few shrimp, maybe 1 or 2 at these stations that are right at legal size, but we also see a lot of these really small shrimp," Jason said while showing photos of representative catches from six stations.
Commissioners asked about where juveniles develop and whether inshore bays are sampled; Jason said the department runs year-round sampling with lighter nets in bays and that juveniles appear north of the CSX where commercial harvest is not permitted. Staff also reported license sales for last year: 240 resident commercial and 106 nonresident commercial licenses.
Less critical details: staff said sampling began in mid-April and typically increases to twice-weekly sampling in May. Hydrological indicators in Biloxi Bay show above-average April water temperatures and lower precipitation; staff noted higher temperatures can speed growth but salinity was slightly below average.
