Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 22 - MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF MARINE RESOURCES › Part 6 - RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR LIVE-BAIT RELATED ACTIVITIES › Chapter 04 - GEAR REGULATIONS › Rule 22-6-04-4.1

Current through June 25, 2024
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to
				  engage in live bait shrimping operations or to operate a live bait catcher boat
				  without complying with the following:
A. A live bait catcher boat shall be licensed
				to catch live bait shrimp for only one live bait dealer, unless specifically
				permitted to do so as provided for in this Part. Once a live bait boat has been
				inspected and licensed to catch shrimp for a specific licensed live bait dealer
				that boat and captain must continue to work for that dealer until the following
				license period. The only exception to this is when a dealer has their license
				revoked or is otherwise out of business. The captain and live bait catcher boat
				may transfer to work for another live bait camp with the prior approval of the
				Executive Director or his designee and if they were not convicted of any
				violations that resulted in or contributed to the revocation of the live bait
				camp license. These are the only circumstances in which a live bait captain and
				catcher boat will be allowed to change camps during the course of the season
				and begin to work for another camp.
B. It shall be unlawful for any live bait
				catcher boat to tow a net in excess of twenty- five (25) minutes, including the
				time it takes to put out or pick up a trawl.
C. It shall be unlawful for live bait catcher
				boats east of Bayou Caddy to pull or have on board a trawl with measurements in
				excess of sixteen (16) feet along the headrope or in excess of twenty-two (22)
				feet along the footrope for the purpose of catching bait shrimp in Mississippi
				waters. It shall further be unlawful for live bait catcher boats working in
				Hancock County south and west of Bayou Caddy to pull or have on board a trawl
				with measurements in excess of twenty-five (25) feet along the headrope or in
				excess of thirty-two (32) feet along the footrope for the purpose of catching
				bait shrimp in Mississippi waters.
D. It shall be unlawful for live bait catcher
				boats to use boards greater than four (4) feet in length.
E. Live bait catcher boats must be clearly
				marked by displaying in an easily visible position, on both port and starboard
				sides, in block letters at least six (6) inches high by at least one-half (1/2)
				inch wide and of a contrasting color to that of the vessel, the words: "LIVE
				BAIT" and the name of the camp similarly displayed.
F. It shall be unlawful for any live bait
				catcher boat to use in excess of one (1) trawl. It shall be further unlawful
				for any live bait catcher boat to use any test or try trawl.
G. Live bait catcher boats shall be equipped
				with shaded holding tanks with aeration capabilities and a water circulating
				system aboard. Said holding tanks aboard the live bait catcher boat must be of
				either circular or raceway type with adequate water flow, provided, however,
				that rectangular shaped tanks already in use may continue to be used when
				boards are placed in the corners to prevent live shrimp from congregating.
				Provisions for aerating said holding tanks shall be provided to ensure optimal
				survival of the bait shrimp. A pump capable of drawing water from near the
				bottom where the shrimp are caught shall also be on board. A "wet" or
				recirculating sorting tank shall be required to separate shrimp from incidental
				catch. Other types of on-board holding tanks or systems may be permitted if it
				can be shown that they are at least as adequate as those described above. The
				Executive Director or his designee shall determine the capability of such
				holding tanks aboard to hold shrimp or fish in a live condition, as well as the
				capability of any pumps or aeration systems prior to the issuance of a permit
				for their operation.
H. It shall be
				unlawful for any live bait catcher boat to have in excess of thirty (30) pounds
				of dead shrimp on board at any time.
I. It shall be unlawful to possess mullet
				north of the CSX railroad while engaged in minnow fishing.
J. The designated captain of the live bait
				catcher boat may not operate said boat without having in his immediate
				possession a valid live bait catcher boat license issued by the Executive
				Director or his designee and their Captains' license issued by the
				MDMR.
K. Trawling hours for live
				bait catcher boats shall begin no earlier than thirty (30) minutes before
				official sunrise and end no later than official sunset each day, unless
				otherwise specified by the MDMR or state statute.
L. Live bait catcher boat operators may
				retain other fish caught incidental to catching bait shrimp, and such fish may
				be sold as chum or bait provided they meet all minimum commercial size
				requirements as established by Mississippi Statute and Parts as well as all
				other applicable regulations as established by the MDMR and state statute. If
				the live bait camp desires to sell crabs caught while engaged in fishing for
				live bait, the live bait dealer must possess a valid commercial crab license
				issued by the MDMR and abide by all crabbing regulations as established by the
				MDMR and state statute. All other incidental catch not intended for sale as
				bait or chum must be returned to the water as soon as possible in order to
				ensure survival.
M. It shall be
				unlawful for a live bait dealer or live bait catcher boat captain or operator
				to refuse to sell any shrimp legally caught or possessed for bait
				use.
N. It shall further be
				unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to sell, offer for sale, barter,
				trade, dispense or otherwise dispose of live bait shrimp from a live bait
				catcher boat to recreational fishermen in amounts exceeding five hundred (500)
				live bait shrimp per person per day.
O. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm
				or corporation to wash, pull, or have any part of a trawl in waters of the
				State of Mississippi that are closed to live bait shrimping or closed to that
				particular type or size of trawl.
MISS. CODE
				  ANN. §§
										49-15-15,
				  49-15-64,
				  49-15-86,
				  49-15-303,
				  49-15-304,
				  and
				  49-15-307.