Commission of Marine Resources returns to in-person meetings
The Commission of Marine Resources returns to in-person meetings after 12 months of online zoom meetings.
COVID-19 changed how state departments meet and interact with the public. As a COVID safety precaution, the Commission of Marine Resources stopped all in-person meetings over a year ago. Charter Boat Commissioner Ronnie Daniels said, “We had our monthly meeting through Zoom and we could still interact and talk, but you lose that personal contact.”
Expressing emotions on environmental concerns doesn’t have much impact through a computer screen.
Commissioners say they could not be happier to return to in-person meetings. They miss the ability to meet with the community and get their true emotion and reaction on environmental changes that could change our community.
They say returning to in-person meetings offers department transparency. MDMR Executive Director Joe Spraggins said, “We want to be up front with everyone and tell them how we’re doing things and what our plan is and we want to have their opinion. It’s their waters too, not just ours. It’s everybody’s in the state of Mississippi and all of the United States.”
A hot topic in today’s meeting is the announcement of the 2021 Red Snapper season. Finfish Bureau Director Matt Hill said, “We have decided to open up the Friday of Memorial Weekend which is May 28th and we will run that through Monday, July 5th.”
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