Commercial fishing for speckled trout set to close in Mississippi

[cmdrost]

Seatrout, Spotted (Speckled Trout):

Permit: In addition to other commercial fishing licenses a qualified commercial fisherman must have in possession a valid Spotted Seatrout permit to commercially harvest and sell spotted Seatrout. (See License section for qualifying criteria.)

Spotted Seatrout Permit: The commercial fisherman (captain) is required to qualify and purchase a spotted seatrout permit to commercially harvest and sell spotted seatrout. A saltwater guide may not possess a spotted seatrout permit.

Qualifying criteria for Spotted Seatrout Permit are

1) applicant must have possessed a valid saltwater gill net license during two of the years 1993, 1994 or 1995.
2) applicant must provide positive proof, in the form of state and federal income tax returns, including Schedule C of the federal 1040 form, submitted in accordance with procedures established by the commission, that the applicant has derived more than 50 percent of his income earned from the capture and sale of seafood species in at least two of the three years, 1993, 1994 or 1995.


Legal Gear: Spotted seatrout may be taken only by properly licensed and permitted commercial rod-and-reel fishermen. No commercial gear other than commercial rod-and-reel may be used or in possession to take spotted seatrout. All persons on board a vessel commercially fishing for spotted seatrout shall be validly licensed commercial fishermen. Only the spotted trout permit holder may sell spotted seatrout.


Size: 14 inches total minimum total length, with an annual harvest quota of one million pounds.

Seasons/Times: Commercial fishing begins on the second day of January until the last day of July or until the quota is reached, whichever comes first. Spotted seatrout may not be taken commercially during the period from official sunset on Friday through official sunrise on Monday, and there shall be no possession of spotted seatrout in excess of the recreational limit during the period between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. However, a person holding a permit for the commercial taking or possession of spotted seatrout may take or possess an amount not to exceed the legal recreational limit of spotted seatrout between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. during the open season and at any time during the closed season if that person also possesses a basic recreational fishing license and a saltwater fishing license. It is illegal to possess spotted seatrout on a vessel where there is a gill net, strike net, hoop net, trammel net or seine or other commercial gear. No person shall qualify for a charter boat fishing guide license and a spotted seatrout permit during the same licensure period.