State Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Mark Williams has announced that Georgia’s food shrimp harvest season will close Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. This closure includes all food shrimp harvesting activities, including commercial trawling, commercial and recreational food shrimp cast netting, and shrimp seining on the beaches. Anglers and commercial bait shrimp dealers can still harvest shrimp for use as bait.

The 2011-12 shrimp season was extended through Jan. 25 based on a recommendation from the Coastal Resources Division. This recommendation was based on the result of December shrimp population surveys and input from the Shrimp Advisory Panel, which consists of recreational and commercial shrimp fishers.

Although January water temperatures have been above normal, DNR surveys indicate shrimp abundance is below long-term levels.

Results of the December survey indicated a sufficient abundance of marketable shrimp still remained in coastal waters, and thus the season was extended into January.