AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 49-15-79, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO INCLUDE JACKSON COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI, IN THE COUNTIES WHERE IT IS PROHIBITED FOR ANY PERSON, FIRM OR CORPORATION TO USE OR ATTEMPT TO USE A PURSE SEINE FOR THE TAKING OF FISH OR TO HAVE SUCH SEINE IN THE WATER WITHIN ONE MILE OF THE SHORELINE; TO AMEND SECTION 49-15-35, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROHIBIT THE TAKING AND CATCHING OF MENHADEN WITHIN ONE MILE OF THE SOUTHERN SHORELINE OF THE MISSISSIPPI COASTAL BARRIER ISLANDS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
Summary
House Bill 628 amends Mississippi’s marine resources laws to expand nearshore restrictions on purse seine fishing and menhaden harvesting along the Gulf Coast. First, it adds Jackson County to the list of counties where it is unlawful to use or attempt to use a purse seine, or to have one in the water, within one mile of the shoreline. The bill also preserves the existing authority for coastal county boards of supervisors to submit proposed trammel net regulations to the commission.
Second, the bill creates a specific statewide prohibition on taking or catching menhaden within one mile of the southern shoreline of the Mississippi coastal barrier islands. It also revises the menhaden-related coastal ordinance provision to reflect that one-mile barrier-island restriction, replacing the prior language that allowed county-requested limits of up to two miles from the shoreline or municipal boundaries. The act is set to take effect July 1, 2026.
Impact
HB628 would directly amend Sections 49-15-79 and 49-15-35 of the Mississippi Code of 1972, tightening where purse seines may be used and where menhaden may be harvested in coastal waters. The practical effect is to extend existing fishing restrictions to Jackson County and to establish a new one-mile no-take zone for menhaden along the southern shoreline of the Mississippi coastal barrier islands. Violations remain subject to the penalties already provided under Section 49-15-100(2), and the bill would affect commercial fishing operations, especially purse seine and menhaden fisheries, as well as coastal resource management by state and county authorities.
Sentiment
The available context suggests the bill is straightforward and narrowly targeted, with no recorded committee debate, votes, or formal opposition in the materials provided. Its caption and text indicate a conservation- and coastal-management-oriented measure focused on regulating fishing activity near sensitive shoreline areas. Because there are no transcripts or vote records, the overall sentiment can only be characterized as neutral to supportive based on the bill’s limited, regulatory purpose.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is the restriction on commercial fishing activity, particularly purse seine use and menhaden harvesting, which may affect fishing businesses and coastal industry stakeholders. The bill’s expansion of the purse seine prohibition to Jackson County and its new one-mile barrier-island menhaden ban could be viewed as protective of coastal resources by conservation interests and local governments, but burdensome by commercial fishers who rely on access to nearshore waters. No specific objections or supporters are documented in the provided materials.