Sea Turtle caught in shrimp trawler nets
Biloxi, Mississippi. - State officials say they will monitor the removal of storm debris from the Mississippi Sound to ensure shrimp are protected. Officials with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources met Tuesday with representatives of the Coast Guard and contractor Matthews Marine of Pass Christian. MDMR director Bill Walker said he was assured the contract between the Coast Guard and Matthews Marine and Gulf Equipment Ventures of Theodore, Ala., limits the dragging of debris nets that could harm shrimp stocks. Trawling will be confined to a deep but small channel southeast of the Bay of St. Louis Bay, and about an acre immediately around the port and small craft harbor at Gulfport. Walker said nets would have a minimum mesh size of three or four inches and trawling time would be limited to 30 minutes. Walker said the contractor agreed to begin in those areas first. He said trawling early will have the work finished before shrimp move from coastal estuaries to open waters, where they could be caught in the nets.