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 composing 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]

Miss. Advisory Commission on Marine Resources

The Mississippi Advisory Commission on Marine Resources has 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. The current members are:[2]

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.[3]

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.[4]

References
  1. Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. Website. Retrieved on March 11, 2015.
  2. "Commission on Marine Resources". Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  3. "Marine Patrol". Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  4. 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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