Georgia’s commercial and recreational shrimpers will have more time this season to harvest food shrimp after the state Department of Natural Resources extended the shrimping season Monday.
State law normally closes the shrimp fishery Dec. 31, but the Commissioner of Natural Resources can lengthen the season if data show shrimp are abundant and likely to rebound the following year, explained Eddie Leonard, a biologist with DNR’s Coastal Resources Division, which manages marine fisheries in Georgia.
“The data we collected in December indicates there is a still a good number of large shrimp in state waters off Georgia’s beaches,” Leonard said. “We also saw a good number of shrimp inshore, especially in creeks — and in rivers, as well. Those inshore populations will be able to spawn in the spring and move offshore in April or May to support next year’s shrimping season.”
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