Mississippi Administrative Code

Violations under this part will be charged in accordance with the provisions of Miss. Code Ann. § 49-15-1 et seq. Each day of a continuing violation constitutes a separate violation. Violations of more than one chapter or subchapter of this part or part thereof shall be considere…

Each chapter and subchapter of this Part is hereby declared separable, and if any chapter or subchapter or part thereof shall be held invalid or unconstitutional, the balance of said Title 22 Part 06 shall remain in full force and effect. Notes 22 Miss. Code. R. 6-09-9.1 MISS. CO…

The Mississippi Commission on Marine Resources has determined that the regulation of all user groups is necessary for the conservation, protection, or propagation of certain fish species. Notes 22 Miss. Code. R. 7-02-100 Amended 10/1/2015 Amended 8/22/2016 Amended 1/16/2017 Amend…

The Mississippi Commission on Marine Resources has determined that regulations must be imposed on minimum lengths and bag limits of certain commercially and recreationally important fish species in order to insure the proper conservation, protection or spawning of stocks. Notes 2…

he Mississippi Commission on Marine Resources has determined that there is a need to support the decision of the United States Congress which authorized the United States Secretary of Commerce, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NCAA) Assistant Administrator, fo…

The Mississippi Commission on Marine Resources has determined a need to restrict the incidental catch of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna in accordance with Federal Regulations. Notes 22 Miss. Code. R. 7-02-103 Amended 10/1/2015 Amended 8/22/2016 Amended 1/16/2017 Amended 6/16/2017 Amended …

The Mississippi Commission on Marine Resources has determined that the ICCAT recommendation to prohibit a directed fishery on the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna spawning stocks in the Gulf of Mexico is a valid and necessary measure for the proper conservation of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna stoc…

The Mississippi Commission on Marine Resources is vested with the jurisdiction and authority over all marine aquatic life and is authorized to enact all regulations necessary for the protection, conservation or propagation of all shrimp, oysters, commercial fish and crabs in the …

Section 49 -15-63 of the Mississippi Code of 1972, Annotated, provides, in part, that any person, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of any Title and Part adopted by the commission shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Notes 22 Miss. Code. R. 7-02-106 Amended 10/1/20…

Section 49-15-96 of the Mississippi Code of 1972, Annotated; allows for the cleaning (filleting) of certain types of fish for personal consumption by licensed commercial shrimpers. Notes 22 Miss. Code. R. 7-02-107 Amended 10/1/2015 Amended 8/22/2016 Amended 1/16/2017 Amended 6/16…

Section 49-15-317 of the Mississippi Code of 1972, Annotated; allows any charter or recreational fishing boat fishing outside the state's waters in the Gulf of Mexico over twenty-four (24) hours before returning to land and filing a float plan with the Department of Marine Resour…

FINAL DESTINATION shall be defined as a place on the mainland or a barrier island, not including piers or jetties, where the fishermen finally lands his catch and does not further transport the fish by boat. Notes 22 Miss. Code. R. 7-03-100 Amended 10/1/2015 Amended 8/22/2016 Ame…

RECREATIONAL FISHERMAN shall be defined as those individuals taking and/or catching seafood for recreation or personal consumption. Notes 22 Miss. Code. R. 7-03-101 Amended 10/1/2015 Amended 8/22/2016 Amended 1/16/2017 Amended 6/16/2017 Amended 4/20/2018 Amended 5/18/2018 Amended…

BAG LIMIT shall mean the total number of a particular species that a recreational fisherman can retain for a single day's catch. Notes 22 Miss. Code. R. 7-03-102 Amended 10/1/2015 Amended 8/22/2016 Amended 1/16/2017 Amended 6/16/2017 Amended 4/20/2018 Amended 5/18/2018 Amended7/2…

TROTLINE shall be defined as a stationary anchored line with more than three (3) baited hooks. Notes 22 Miss. Code. R. 7-03-103 Amended 10/1/2015 Amended 8/22/2016 Amended 1/16/2017 Amended 6/16/2017 Amended 4/20/2018 Amended 5/18/2018 Amended7/21/2018 Amended 10/22/2018 Amended …

SET POLE and LINE shall be defined as a line attached to a pole, suspended over water, located along a shoreline. This gear does not include rods with an attached reel or cane poles actively attended on-site by a fisherman engaged in fishing from the adjacent shoreline. Notes 22 …

It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to commercially take finfish from the marine waters north of the CSX bridges in the three (3) coastal counties of Mississippi, except for any euryhaline species of minnow in the Pascagoula river system. Notes 22 Miss. Code…

It shall be unlawful for commercial or recreational fishermen to possess fish with heads, tails or flesh removed until delivered to the final destination; however, fish may be eviscerated, scaled or have gills removed. Any charter or recreational fishing boat fishing outside the …

Licensed commercial shrimp fishermen may keep in whole for personal consumption only, the following fish which are caught in shrimp nets or trawls of the vessel: White Trout, Atlantic Croaker, Black Drum, and Ground Mullet (Family Sciaenidae); Sheepshead (Family Sparidae); Gaffto…

Persons on a licensed charter boat or headboat may possess a two-day (2) bag limit only when complying with the following conditions and only for the species listed in 100.06 of this chapter. 100.01 Charter boats must be less than one hundred (100) gross tons and meet Coast Guard…

A licensed for-hire vessel may obtain a two-day bag limit endorsement from the Department for a fee of $100 per year. The endorsement allows the vessel to possess a two-day bag limit (whole or filleted) of Spotted Seatrout, Red Drum, and Southern Flounder under all of the followi…

The vessel operator must file a float plan with the Department during regular office hours prior to disembarking. A copy of the float plan must be on board the vessel for the duration of the trip. The float plan must be submitted on forms provided by the Department and must conta…

The vessel's captain and crew are prohibited from keeping a recreational bag limit of Red Drum and Southern Flounder while exercising the endorsement. The presence of the captain and crew does not count towards the vessel's daily possession limit for the species listed above. Not…

Charter vessel captain and crew are prohibited from keeping a recreational bag limit of Red Snapper, Greater Amberjack, and Spotted Seatrout. Notes 22 Miss. Code. R. 7-07-104 Amended 10/1/2015 Amended 8/22/2016 Amended 1/16/2017 Amended 6/16/2017 Amended 4/20/2018 Amended 5/18/20…

This Chapter shall renew automatically on an annual basis for a one-year period unless the Commission initiates a review of this section. Notes 22 Miss. Code. R. 7-07-105 Adopted 6/19/2020

It shall be unlawful for a recreational fisherman to possess any fish in excess of a one (1) day bag limit of the following named species as prescribed: 100.01 Fifteen (15) Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) 100.02 Three (3) Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) 100.03 Two (2) Cobia…

The practice of "finning", that is, removing only the fins and returning the remainder of the shark to the sea is unlawful. Notes 22 Miss. Code. R. 7-08-101 Amended 10/1/2015 Amended 8/22/2016 Amended 1/16/2017 Amended 6/16/2017 Amended 4/20/2018 Amended 5/18/2018 Amended7/21/201…

It shall be unlawful for recreational fishermen to possess any of the following named species of fish under the lengths prescribed: 102.01 Spotted Seatrout - fifteen (15) inches (total length). 102.02 Red Drum - eighteen (18) inches (total length). 102.03 Cobia - thirty-six (36) …

However, recreational fishermen not fishing in Mississippi waters may transport and land fish that meet the minimum size and creel limits of the waters in which they were legally caught. Said recreational fishermen must possess a valid saltwater sportfishing license as may be req…

It shall be unlawful for saltwater commercial or recreational fishermen to possess more than one (1) Red Drum exceeding thirty (30) inches total length for a single day's catch. Notes 22 Miss. Code. R. 7-08-104 Amended 10/1/2015 Amended 8/22/2016 Amended 1/16/2017 Amended 6/16/20…

It shall be unlawful for any fisherman to remove an Atlantic Tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) over the length of forty (40) inches from the water unless the intent is to harvest within the limits defined in Sections 100 and 102 of this chapter. Notes 22 Miss. Code. R. 7-08-105 Amende…

It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation, to barter, sell, offer for sale or transport for sale or possess for sale in or from the State of Mississippi the following named species offish under the lengths prescribed: 100.01 Red Drum - eighteen (18) inches (total …

It shall be unlawful for commercial fishermen to possess any of the following species of sharks: 101.01 Sand Tiger (Odontaspis taurus) 101.02 Bigeye Sand Tiger (Odontaspis noronhai) 101.03 Whale (Rhincodon typus) 101.04 Basking (Cetorhinus maximus) 101.05 White (Carcharodon carch…

It shall be unlawfial for any commercial fishermen to possess any Cobia smaller than thirty-six (36) inches fork length or to possess more than a daily bag limit of two (2) Cobia per person. Notes 22 Miss. Code. R. 7-09-102 Amended 10/1/2015 Amended 8/22/2016 Amended 1/16/2017 Am…

It shall be unlawful for any commercial fisherman, person, firm or corporation, to sell, barter or trade any species of reef fish (identified in Chapter 09 Sections 100.08 through 100.25) without possessing the proper federal permits and/or licenses required by the NOAA Gulf of M…

It shall be unlawful for any commercial fisherman, person, firm or corporation, to possess or harvest from Mississippi territorial waters, in excess of three thousand pounds (3,000) of King Mackerel, per vessel, per trip, per day. Notes 22 Miss. Code. R. 7-09-104 Amended 10/1/201…

It shall be unlawful for person, firm, or corporation to sell or purchase the following species of billfish without the proper federal documentation: Blue Marlin (Makaira nigricans), White Marlin (Tetrapturus albidus), and Sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus). Notes 22 Miss. Code. …

From and after January 1, 2012 the annual Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for commercial landings of flounder (Paralicthys sp.) will be set at seventy-four thousand (74,000) pounds. The 2012 commercial fishing season for landing flounder shall commence on January 1, 2012 and end Dece…

From and after October 1, 2015 the annual Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for commercial landings of Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) will be set at sixty thousand (60,000) pounds. The TAC shall commence on January 1st and end on December 31st of each year. The commercial TAC for the f…

From and after February 1st, 2013 the annual Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for commercial landings of Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) will be set at fifty thousand (50,000) pounds. The 2015 commercial fishing season for landing Spotted Seatrout shall commence on February 1st…

Beginning January 1, 2019 individuals commercially harvesting Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) must possess a Spotted Seatrout endorsement ($10.00) in addition to a current applicable harvester's license. To qualify for this endorsement an application must be completed. For…

The following provisions are provided to address safety concerns and allow fishermen to have another individual on board in case of an emergency. For commercial hook and line fishermen, if only two fishermen are aboard a vessel commercially harvesting Spotted Seatrout, one of the…

It shall be unlawful for any commercial fisherman to possess a daily bag limit of more than three (3) Tripletail per person. Notes 22 Miss. Code. R. 7-09-111 Amended 10/1/2015 Amended 8/22/2016 Amended 1/16/2017 Amended 6/16/2017 Amended 4/20/2018 Amended 5/18/2018 Amended7/21/20…

If any person, firm, or corporation, barters, sells, offers to sale or transports for sale or possesses for sale in the State of Mississippi any species offish under the lengths or for which the fishing season is closed as prescribed in Title 22 Part 7 said person, firm or corpor…

Beginning January 1, 2020, any individual or vessel commercially harvesting small coastal or large coastal sharks in Mississippi's territorial waters must possess a MDMR shark endorsement (10.00) in addition to a current applicable harvester license. In addition, all individuals …

It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation, to barter, sell, offer for sale or transport for sale or possess for sale Atlantic Tarpon (Megalops atlanticus). Notes 22 Miss. Code. R. 7-09-114 Adopted 2/21/2020 Amended 6/19/2020

It shall be unlawful for any commercial fishermen to possess any Atlantic Tarpon smaller than seventy-five (75) inches fork length or to possess more than a daily bag limit of one (1) Atlantic Tarpon per vessel. Notes 22 Miss. Code. R. 7-09-115 Adopted 2/21/2020 Amended 6/19/2020…