Local fishermen upset with reef leasing program, miscommunication

GULF COAST, Miss. (WLOX) – With oysters in the Mississippi Sound finally available to harvest again, fishermen are ready to get back on the water, but they say a state program designed to grow the oyster industry is leaving out many long-time fishermen.

The On-Bottom Molluscan Shellfish Lease program allows businesses to lease water bottoms that were once inaccessible.

The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources solicited input from fishermen last summer, but Executive Director Joe Spraggins says no one provided feedback…

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