BILOXI, MS – The executive directors of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality are immediately revising the closure of certain portions of Mississippi’s territorial marine waters to all commercial and recreational fishing, including all species of finfish, crabs, shrimp and oysters. The revised closure area in the eastern Mississippi Sound includes those territorial marine waters of the State of Mississippi south of Horn Island along its southern shoreline, in addition to those waters lying south of 30 degrees 18 minutes north latitude to federal waters and east of 88 degrees 39 minutes west longitude to the Mississippi-Alabama state boundary.
This closure is a result of the detection of oil in this general area, and the potential impacts of the oil on Mississippi’s coastal marine resources. All other regulations will remain in full force and effect.
Any individuals retaining any marine species from this closed area will be required to immediately return them to the waters.
This precautionary closure revision supersedes the precautionary order of June 4, 2010, and will take effect and be in force immediately. The purpose of this revision is to be more consistent with the protocol used in the closure of federal waters. Monitoring of this situation continues to ensure the public safety and protection of Mississippi’s coastal resources.
Source: Mississippi Department of Marine Resources