BILOXI, Miss. –The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (DMR) has announced that the 2010-2011 Mississippi oyster season is scheduled to open to tonging only at legal sunrise Monday, Nov. 8, 2010, only in Areas II “A”, “B” and “C” Conditionally Approved waters, provided the area meets all criteria for opening as specified in the area management plan:
· Area II “A” Conditionally Approved Waters, which includes northern portions of the Pass Christian and Henderson Point reefs and Hornet’s Reef.
· Area II “B” Conditionally Approved Waters, which includes St. Stanislaus and Waveland reefs.
· Area II “C” Conditionally Approved Waters, and its subdivisions of II “E” (including Square Handkerchief Reef and southern portions of Henderson Point Reef), II “F” (including southern portions of the Pass Christian Reef) and II “G” (including northern portions of the Pass Marianne and Telegraph reefs).
The initial checkout time will be 4 p.m. with the designated checkout station on the west side of Pass Christian Harbor. There will be an initial daily sack limit of 10 per licensed commercial oyster tonging vessel.
In response to requests from commercial oyster dredgers attending the Oct. 19, 2010, meeting of the Mississippi Commission on Marine Resources (CMR), the CMR recommended that the DMR executive director open the 2010-2011 oyster season to tonging only, and not dredging, in an effort to conserve the oyster resource in Mississippi waters.
Source: Mississippi Department of Marine Resources