Section 9-12-54.6

Exclusive saltwater bait areas.

All rivers, bayous, and creeks of the state are permanently closed to the taking of saltwater shrimp for any purpose. Wolf Bay, that area encompassing the water within the boundary from the south shore of Wolf Bay northward to Beacon #86 on the north side of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway then westward along the north side of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway to Beacon #94 then south across the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway to the south shore of Wolf Bay; Oyster Bay, that area encompassing the waters of Oyster Bay except those waters north of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway; that area encompassing those waters in the mouth of the Blakely River between the I-10 bridge and the Highway 90 (old causeway) bridge; Terry Cove (Baldwin County); Arlington Channel; East Fowl River from Beacon 5 and 6 to the mouth of the river; Bayou La Batre Channel from Bayou La Batre Channel B.C. Beacon to the mouth of Bayou La Batre; and Dauphin Island Bay (Mobile County) shall be designated as exclusive saltwater bait areas and shall remain open to licensed commercial and recreational live saltwater bait shrimping year around during the hours of 4:00 o'clock a.m. until 10:00 o'clock p.m. provided that the shrimping activity complies with all other statutes and regulations promulgated by the Commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources concerning shrimping activity. The Commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is authorized to establish by regulation other exclusively commercial and exclusively recreational bait shrimping areas, and to promulgate other rules and regulations as necessary relating to the activities provided for in Sections 9-12-54.1 to 9-12-54.6, inclusive.

(Acts 1981, No. 81-853, p. 1531, §6; Acts 1994, No. 94-618, p. 1150, §1; Act 2000-737, p. 1613, §1.)