Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Bait Shrimp Bayou Cassatt topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission grants temporary variance to allow bait shrimping in Bayou Cassatt ship channel
Summary
Following industry testimony about a long‑used shrimping area, the commission granted a temporary variance allowing live‑bait shrimp harvest in the Bayou Cassatt ship channel for 120 days while staff reviews the map and regulations.
The Mississippi Advisory Commission on Marine Resources granted a temporary variance April 15 allowing live‑bait shrimp harvest in the Bayou Cassatt ship channel for 120 days while staff reviews the water classification and regulatory language.
Local bait dealers and shrimpers told the commission that Bayou Cassatt (called in parts the Bayou Cassatt Ship Channel on navigation charts) has been a long‑used winter bait source and that a map reference — printed in 1996 — appeared to show the area closed to shrimping under the current regulation. Speakers including AJ Moody, Larry Ryan and Charles Williamson said the closure had effectively cut off local bait supplies and resulted in citations for operators who believed the area had been open historically.
DMR enforcement staff confirmed citations were issued under the text of the regulations and noted the map used in enforcement showed the area as prohibited. Commissioners heard that the waterway south of the named bayou is a deep, navigable ship channel in parts, and that bait harvest in an offshore channel made by regular maintenance dredging is operationally different from harvest in shallow residential bayous.
To avoid immediate economic harm to the bait trade while staff undertakes a technical review, the commission approved a temporary variance (staff suggested 120 days to allow study and any regulatory correction). The variance covers the Bayou Cassatt ship channel area identified in discussion and will allow Marine Patrol to suspend enforcement of the cited prohibition while the department reviews maps, historical usage and regulatory text and prepares any follow‑up recommendation.
Commissioners and staff emphasized that enforcement officers acted under the letter of current regulations when citations were issued and that the variance does not retroactively affect citations already adjudicated. DMR staff committed to present findings and any regulatory changes to the commission at a future meeting.
