Alabama’s brown shrimp season opened at 6 a.m. Wednesday, June 3, giving commercial shrimpers along the Mobile and Baldwin County coastline the green light to head out for the year’s first harvest.
The announcement came from the Alabama Marine Resources Division, which sets the opening date each year based on the size of shrimp sampled in state waters. Chris Blankenship, director of the division and program administrator for the Alabama Seafood Marketing Commission, said the opening is always a notable moment for the coastal economy.
“The opening of shrimp season is always celebrated across Coastal Alabama,” Blankenship said. “We look forward to a bountiful opening and a plentiful 2015 season.”
State biologists determined the season could open after routine sampling showed shrimp in designated waters averaged larger than 68 head-on shrimp per pound — a benchmark the division uses to judge whether the crop has matured enough for harvest. Officials said sampling would continue throughout the season, and additional announcements could follow if conditions in other areas changed.
Commercial shrimpers preparing to head out were reminded to have their paperwork in order. Boat registration or documentation papers, along with the boat owner’s driver’s license and Social Security or tax identification number, are required when purchasing a commercial shrimping license.
The brown shrimp season is one of the most closely watched dates on the calendar for Alabama’s seafood industry, drawing boats from ports along Mobile Bay, the Bon Secour River and the Gulf beaches. The harvest supports processors, dockside markets and restaurants throughout south Alabama that depend on a steady local supply heading into the summer tourist season.
Alabama’s shrimping industry has weathered years of competition from imported product and fluctuating fuel costs, making a strong opening especially significant for family-run boats that rely on the summer season for the bulk of their annual income.