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Marine Resources Division Enforcement Section

Marine Resources Division Enforcement Section Primary responsibility is the enforcement of state and federal saltwater fishing laws and regulations. Crabbing. Commercial Crabbing  A commercial license is required to take crabs for commercial purposes or to use more than five traps.

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Marine Resources Division Enforcement Section

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  1. Marine Resources Division Enforcement Section Primary responsibility is the enforcement of state and federal saltwater fishing laws and regulations

  2. Crabbing

  3. Commercial Crabbing • A commercial license is required to take crabs for commercial purposes or to use more than five traps. • Blue crabs must measure five inches from point to point across the back. • Each commercial crab trap shall be marked with a buoy or float at least 6 inches in diameter. Each buoy shall be marked with the fisherman’s identification number. • Traps can only be worked or removed from one hour before sunrise to sunset of each day. • Traps shall not exceed 27 cubic feet in volume. • Commercial shrimp boats can take up to five gallons of legal sized crabs in waters open to shrimping.

  4. Commercial Crabbing - Continued • It is unlawful to set or place crab traps in any waters of the Mobile Delta north of Interstate Highway 10 and/or State • Highway 90 Battleship Parkway (whichever is the southern • most highway). • It is unlawful to set or place crab traps within 300 feet of any navigational channel marked by a lawfully established system of waterway markers or within 300 feet of any public boat launching ramp or public pier, Heron Bay Cutoff, or the mouth of West Fowl River, Weeks Bay, Fish River, Magnolia River, any man-made canal, or in any manner to prevent the ingress or egress to or from any pier, wharf, dock, marina, or boat launching ramp.

  5. It is unlawful to set or place any commercial crab traps in the following rivers, creeks, bayous, bays, canals, or their tributaries: • Mobile CountyBaldwin County • Mobile River Fly Creek • Dog River Blakeley River • Theodore Industrial Canal Magnolia River • Northwest arm of Heron Bay Bon Secour River * • Heron Bayou Wolf Creek • Bayou Coden Sandy Creek • Bayou La Batre Miflin Creek • All man-made canals at Hammock Creek • Dauphin Island Roberts Bayou • Soldier Creek • Palmetto Creek • Old River* • Exceptions: Only prohibited north of channel markers 7&8 in Bon Secour River. • Only prohibited between Ono Island and Perdido Key in Old River.

  6. Recreational Crabbing • Individuals can use up to five traps. • Blue crabs must measure five inches from point to point across the back. • Recreational shrimpers can keep one gallon of crabs from a designated bait area (exempt from minimum size limit for use as bait), and five gallons of legal size crabs from waters open to commercial shrimping. • Traps shall not exceed 27 cubic feet in volume. • Recreational traps must be marked with a buoy or float at least six inches in diameter. These floats must be colored orange and marked with the letter “R” at least two inches high. • It is unlawful to set or place crab traps in any waters of the Mobile Delta north of I Interstate Highway 10 and/or State Highway 90 Battleship Parkway (whichever is the southern most highway).

  7. Recreational Crabbing - Continued • It is unlawful to set or place crab traps within 300 feet of any navigational channel marked by a lawfully established system of waterway markers or within 300 feet of any public boat launching ramp or public pier, Heron Bay Cutoff, or the mouth of West Fowl River, Weeks Bay, Fish River, Magnolia River, any man-made canal, or in any manner to prevent the ingress or egress to or from any pier, wharf, dock, marina, or boat launching ramp. • The following conditions must be met for recreational crab traps to be set in the areas listed as closed to commercial crabbing: • (1)Traps must be physically attached by a line to a pier, dock, bulkhead, boathouse, or other structure, on or attached to the shore. • (2) The line shall allow the trap to be placed at a distance no greater than 10 feet from the pier, dock, boathouse, or shoreline. • (3) No more than five traps are allowed per property.

  8. METHODS OF REPORTING Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (except on State holidays) Mobile County: (251) 861-2882 Baldwin County: (251) 968-7576 or (251) 968-7577 On weekends and at night: (251) 476-1256

  9. METHODS OF REPORTING via Text Message To report a saltwater fishing violation, anyone with a cell phone can now text the keyword “COASTWATCH” to the number 847411. Please include as much detail as possible when reporting a violation such as: the name and description of the suspects, vehicle or boat description, license plate number, boat registration number, clothing description, time of your observation, and the area where the violation occurred.

  10. Technology Initiative *E-citations *COORS *Remote Monitoring

  11. Contact Information Major Christopher M. Blankenship Chief Enforcement Officer Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Marine Resources Division P O Box 189 Dauphin Island, AL 36528 Cellular Phone Number: 251-709-5889 Office Phone Number: 251-861-2882 Office Fax Number: 251-861-8741 Email Address: chris.blankenship@dcnr.alabama.gov

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