Wildlife officials seize over 600 catfish in illegal Mississippi River fishing bust

By Cat Ellis
published

Five men face hefty fines and potential jail time if convicted of overfishing and fishing without a license

Man holding catfish
You can catch and keep a maximum of 20 catfish per day in the Mississippi River (Image credit: Getty)

Officials have seized over 600 catfish, and at least five men are facing potential fines and jail time after a huge illegal fishing bust in Mississippi. 

As the Washington Examiner reports, agents of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries found the men fishing on a levee near the Empire Locks. They had ice chests containing around 665 blue catfish, which is over six times the daily legal limit of 20 fish per person.

The men were ticketed for violations including keeping too many catfish and fishing without a license. 

Fishing without a license carries a fine of $350, and overfishing warrants a fine of up to $500. If convicted, the men could also face up to 90 days in jail, plus extra fines to restock the catfish.

The illegally caught fish were donated to Hunters for the Hungry, an organization that shares fish and game with needy families in the Greater Baton Rouge area.

Cat Ellis
Cat Ellis
Editor

Cat is the editor of Advnture, She’s been a journalist for 15 years, and was fitness and wellbeing editor on TechRadar before joining the Advnture team in 2022. She’s a UK Athletics qualified run leader, and in her spare time enjoys nothing more than lacing up her shoes and hitting the roads and trails (the muddier, the better), usually wearing at least two sports watches.