Basic Commercial Fishing Regulations - Gulf States Marine ...

Is.(located at Longitude 88 11.500). From March
15 through Labor Day, waters west of longitude
88º11’500” are open from 7:00 pm. Sunday to
12:00 noon Friday. From May 15 to October 2,
all waters in the Gulf of Mexico east of Old
Little Lagoon Pass to the Florida line are closed
to gill nets, trammel nets, seines, haul seines,
and other entangling nets. From January 1
through the day after Labor Day of each year,
entangling nets are prohibited in certain waters
in and around Dauphin Island.
It is illegal to remove the roe or otherwise
process roe mullet aboard any boat or vessel in
Alabama. All nets must be constantly attended
by the licensee, and no dead fish or other dead
seafood may be discarded within three (3) miles
of Gulf beaches, 500’ of any shoreline, or into
any river, stream, bayou, or creek.
It is illegal to use or possess a gill net, trammel,
or other entangling net that do not have a two
inch (2”) cork every five feet (5’) or a six inch
(6”) buoy every fifty feet (50’) on the top line.
SEAFOOD DEALER LICENSE
All licenses expire September 30 of each year.
Required of any person, firm, or corporation
selling, brokering, trading, bartering, or
processing any fresh or frozen seafood. To
obtain a seafood dealer license, tax
identification, proof of business license, and
appropriate health permit are required (if
applicable). License required for each place of
business (“place of business” means a
permanent structure on land or a vehicle from
which seafood is sold or purchased if
owner/operator does not have a licensed
permanent structure.)
Resident seafood dealer - $201.00
Nonresident seafood dealer - $401.00 or the
same fee that is charged an Alabama
resident in their state if Alabama residents
are charged more than $401.00
SEAFOOD DEALER VEHICLE LICENSE
Only holders of a valid Alabama seafood dealer
license may purchase a seafood dealer vehicle
license.
Resident and nonresident - $101.00 per
vehicle
SEAFOOD REPORTING AND LANDING
REGULATION
Alabama Code requires that each and every
person, firm, or corporation holding a seafood
dealer’s license issued by the Commissioner of
Conservation and Natural Resources or his or
her authorized agent shall under oath make a
monthly report to the MRD Director, on blanks
provided for that purpose.
All saltwater finfish commercially harvested in
the state of Alabama, except those lawfully
taken by purse seine, shall be landed in this state
and reported through a properly licensed
Alabama seafood dealer. Persons who are
transporting commercially harvested saltwater
finfish out of the state of Alabama must have in
their possession proof that said finfish were first
landed and reported to a licensed Alabama
seafood dealer.
Commercially harvested living marine products
other than saltwater finfish taken from Alabama
waters including, but not limited to oysters,
crabs, shrimp, other marine invertebrates and
live rock may be landed outside the state of
Alabama provided the dealer to which products
are sold provides to the MRD Director at
monthly intervals the fisherman’s name; license
or permit number; species purchased; volume
and price paid for the product; date and area of
harvest; trip and fishing time; proper vessel
identification; type, quality, and size of gear
used; applicable mesh size of gear used; and
date of purchase – provided that if the dealer
outside the state of Alabama to which produce
was sold fails to report as required, it will be the
responsibility of the fisherman who sold the
product to provide to the MRD Director at
monthly intervals the above required
information.
All motor vehicles, trailers, or semi-trailers
transporting aquatic products for commercial
purposes are required to exhibit the inscription
“FISH” on the rear of the vehicle. The
inscription shall read from left to right, be
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