Mississippi Department of Marine Resources

The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) is a state agency of Mississippi headquartered in the Eldon Bolton State Office building in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Mississippi Department of Marine Resources
TypeState Government
IndustryMaritime
Founded1994
Headquarters1141 Bayview Avenue,
Biloxi, MS
,
USA
Area served
Jackson, Harrison, Hancock Counties
Key people
  • Jamie Miller, Executive Director
  • Kelly Lucas, Chief Scientific Officer
  • Melissa Scallan, Public Information Officer
  • Keith Davis, Chief of Marine Patrol
Number of employees
150-201
Websitewww.dmr.ms.gov

It was created by the legislature as a new state agency in 1994 to manage Mississippi's coastal resources through the authority of the Commission on Marine Resources (CMR). The MDMR is dedicated to enhancing, protecting and conserving the marine interests of Mississippi for present and future generations.[1]

Through the several offices and bureaus comprising the MDMR, the agency, together with the CMR, provides public services and plays a role in administering and enforcing Mississippi Seafood Laws, the Mississippi Coastal Wetlands Protection Act, the Public Trust Tidelands Act, the Boat and Water Safety Act, the Derelict Vessel Act, the Non-Point Source Pollution Act, the Magnuson Act, the Wallop-Breaux Sportfish Restoration Act, Marine Litter Act and other state and federal mandates.[1]

The Commission on Marine Resources

The CMR is composed of five members appointed by the governor for four-year terms to represent the following areas: commercial seafood processors, nonprofit environmental organizations, charter boat operators, recreational fishermen and commercial fishermen.[1] The Commission enacts rules and regulations within its jurisdiction, and indirectly selects the director of the agency, proposing three candidates to the governor.[2]

Richard Gollott

Edgar "Richard" Gollott is the acting Chairman of the CMR. A Biloxi native reappointed to the CMR by Governor Phil Bryant on July 17, 2012 to represent commercial seafood processors.[1] He is owner of Golden Gulf Coast Packing Company where he works as a packer, supplier, ice-house runner, oil dock runner, shrimp unloader and advocate.[3]

Ernie Zimmerman

Representing nonprofit environmental organizations, Ernie Zimmerman was appointed by Governor Phil Bryant on November 12, 2014. Zimmerman has been a member of the Coastal Conservation Association since 2002 and currently serves as president of the Bay St. Louis chapter, a position he also held from 2002 to 2007. He also is a member of the Mississippi Wildlife Federation.[4]

Steve Bosarge

A third generation Jackson County commercial fisherman, Steve Bosarge was reappointed to the Commission on Marine Resources on July 1, 2012.[1] Bosarge was first appointed by Governor Haley Barbour in 2008. He is owner of Bosarge Boats Inc. and B & B Boats Inc. He is a member of the Shrimp Advisory Panel for the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council and member of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources Blue Crab Task Force. Bosarge also works with the National Marine Fisheries Service and the University of Mississippi on shrimp gear testing and volunteers his expertise to the Gulf and South Atlantic Fisheries Foundation on shrimp gear protocols. He has also cooperated with Johns Hopkins University in testing sonar equipment in the Gulf of Mexico and with dredging companies to relocate endangered marine life.[5]

Shelby Drummond

Shelby B. Drummond of Gautier represents recreational sports fisherman. He was first appointed to the CMR by Governor Phil Bryant for a four-year term beginning on July 1, 2012.[6] Drummond has been a fisherman for all his life, and has more than 40 years professional experience as a fisheries biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service.[7]

Ron Harmon

Sworn in May 2015, Ron Harmon of Captain Ron's Charters in Harrison County is the newest Marine Resources Commissioner, and is representing the charter boat industry [1]

Marine Patrol

The Mississippi Marine Patrol is the law enforcement arm of the Department. It enforces federal and state marine laws and ordinances made by the Commission on Marine Resources. It operates to protect, preserve and conserve seafood, aquatic life and associated coastal wetland habitats in Mississippi. The Marine Patrol is also responsible for the enforcement of state and federal laws relating to boating safety, and it provides emergency assistance to incidents affecting the marine environment. The Marine Patrol comprises three divisions: Patrol, Administrative and Investigative.[8]

Corruption

In 2014, the previous director of the agency, Bill Walker, was convicted of public corruption and sentenced to five years in prison. Under Walker's leadership, the DMR spent almost $1.4 million on recreational fishing boats leased from Walker's private foundation. A former DMR employee said Walker used the boats 95 percent of the time for entertainment.[9]

References
  1. Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. Website. Retrieved on March 11, 2015.
  2. "Administrative Handbook of the Mississippi Commission on Marine Resources" (PDF). State of Mississippi. 2011.
  3. Southern Foodways Alliance. Retrieved on March 20, 2015.
  4. Official Website of Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant. Retrieved on March 14, 2015.
  5. MDMR Coastal Markers. Newsletter, winter 2009. Accessed on March 14, 2015.
  6. Mississippi Legislature Senate Nomination update. 2012 Regular Session. Accessed on March 20, 2015.
  7. State of Mississippi, Office of the Governor. Letter. Accessed on March 20, 2015.
  8. "Marine Patrol". Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  9. Lee, Anita & Michell, Justin (June 16, 2014). "Bill Walker gets maximum prison time in DMR fraud conviction". Sun-Herald (Gulfport). Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
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