Alabama state waters open for shrimping on June 1

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The Marine Resources Division (MRD) of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) announced that shrimp season will open on Thursday.

As of 6 a.m., Thursday, June 1, 2023, all inside waters not permanently closed by law or regulation will open for shrimp harvesting. This includes Mobile Bay, Bon Secour Bay, Mississippi Sound, Perdido Bay, Arnica Bay, Wolf Bay, and Little Lagoon.

Licensed live bait dealers holding a permit for Special Live Bait Areas are reminded that an area beside the Battleship Alabama south of the Tensaw River Bridge, north of a line from the north point of Pinto Pass (N30 40.755 – W88 01.124) to the northwest edge of Goat Island (N30 40.124 – W88 00.784); and west of a line from the northwest edge of Goat Island to the eastern end of Tensaw River Bridge (N30 40.955 – W88 00.444) will be open from one hour before sunrise until sunset from June 1-December 31, 2023.

Closing state waters for a week is an annual occurrence to allow the young shrimp time to grow. Shrimp are often used as bait for other marine species, such as fish. Many marine species rely on shrimp for their sustenance,

Special Live Bait Area Permits may be purchased only at the MRD office on Dauphin Island. For more information, call (251) 861-2882.

Shrimp, crabs, lobsters, and crayfish, are a species of invertebrates known as decapods. There are about 2,000 species of shrimp in the world. There are 15 to 22 species of shrimp in Alabama waters. Three of these are harvested by humans: the brown shrimp, the white shrimp, and the pink shrimp.

The brown shrimp is by far the most abundant. The pink shrimp is the least abundant of the three. Alabamians harvest approximately 20.5 million pounds of shrimp with an estimated dockside value of $45 million.

Alabama is a sportsmen’s paradise with harvestable quantities of shrimp, oysters, crayfish, croaker, flounder, red snapper, drum, whiting, sea bass, deer, squirrel, rabbit, turkey, crappie, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, nutria, hogs, coyotes, crows, alligators, cranes, ducks, geese, raccoons, and much more. Alabamians can hunt and fish for something legally year-round.

Alabama residents and guests outside the state can purchase saltwater, freshwater, and hunting licenses. All proceeds from the sale of the licenses go toward wildlife conservation.

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship, management, and enjoyment of Alabama’s natural resources through four divisions: Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries.ADCNR promotes wise stewardship, management, and enjoyment of Alabama’s natural resources through four divisions: Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries.

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