Spotted Seatrout In Mississippi

 

Current Important Issues

PUBLIC HEARINGS
ON THE FUTURE OF MISSISSIPPI’S SPECKLED TROUT

The Mississippi Commission on Marine Resources is accepting public comment on and initiative to reduce the legal size of Speckled trout caught in MS from 14” to 12”.

The Seafood Processor and Commercial Fishing Representatives made this motion. The Recreational Fishing and Charter Industry Representatives opposed the measure.

This action was taken despite testimony from professional fisheries biologists with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and the University of Southern Mississippi College of Marine Sciences that such an action would have a severe detrimental effect on Mississippi’s speckled trout populations over the long term.
 

Click here to view the Scientific Data in a PowerPoint presentation

Data indicates that over the short term the number of individual fish removed from Mississippi’s inshore waters will increase to unsustainable levels. After a very few years the number of fish caught will inevitably return to the current number or less, only the fish will then be of a substantially smaller size.

If you care about the future of speckled trout fishing, and want your children and grandchildren to reap the benefits of the sacrifices we’ve made:

Make Your Voice Heard

Please contact the DMR, and voice your objection to this indefensible waste of your speckled trout.

Mississippi Department of Marine Resources
1141 Bayview Avenue
Biloxi, MS 39530

 Texas has a 15 inch to 25 inch slot restriction and 10 fish per day.  Florida has a 15 inch to 20 inch slot restriction and 5 fish per day.  It is no accident that these states are world record producers and noted as fishing destinations in virtually every Fishing magazine in publication.  It is our future, and the future of our Spotted Seatrout in Mississippi. 

This is important to the State and should be important to you.

Good News

On October 19th, 2004, the Mississippi Commission on Marine Resources voted down the motion to reduce the size restrictions on Spotted Sea Trout.  The motion was to keep the 14" limit, but allow five undersized fish between 12" and 14."
 
The motion was defeated, which means no change will be made to the current Spotted Sea Trout Regulations.

This is good news for all citizens who fish in Mississippi waters!

Thanks! to the many CCA members and citizens who stood up and voiced there opinion against the effort to reduce the size restriction on the Spotted Sea Trout.

And, Thanks to the CMR for doing the right thing for today and the future!

This is a victory for all Mississippians as well as for the Spotted Sea Trout!