Saving Seafood

Gulf lawmakers aim to extend state borders to 9 miles offshore

July 15, 2026 — A bipartisan coalition of Gulf Coast lawmakers is pushing to change a 73-year-old law that limits their states’ maritime boundaries to 3 miles offshore, potentially reshaping the regulation of local fisheries and generating billions of dollars in tax revenues from offshore energy and minerals leases.

Introduced by U.S. Rep. Mike Ezell, R-Miss., and a group of legislators that includes Reps. Troy Carter Sr., D-La., Clay Higgins, R-La., and Shomari Figures, D-Ala., the Offshore Parity Act would extend state waters from 3 nautical miles out to 9 – matching the long-held boundaries of Texas and Florida.

Read the full article at The Center Square

Offshore Parity Act would help state shrimpers operate year-round, Mississippi official testifies

June 5, 2026 — A Mississippi state official testified in favor of expanding state fisheries control from three to nine nautical miles off the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, a change proposed in the recently introduced Offshore Parity Act.

Advocates of the legislation claim it’s unfair that Texas and Florida are able to control fishing up to nine nautical miles off their coast, while the three other Gulf states only control three nautical miles due to the Submerged Lands Act of 1953. During a 3 June hearing held by the U.S. House Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries, Mississippi Department of Marine Resources Executive Director Joe Spraggins told lawmakers it was critical to his state’s fishers to expand state control.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Panel takes up bill to expand state control of Gulf waters

June 2, 2026 — A House Natural Resources subcommittee will take up bipartisan legislation during a hearing this week to expand the authority of certain states over the Gulf of Mexico.

The Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries will scrutinize Mississippi Republican Rep. Mike Ezell’s H.R. 8542, the “Offshore Parity Act,” which would expand state control of waters off Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

Coastal states have jurisdiction of waters immediately past their shores, with federal control of the outer continental shelf generally beginning past 3 nautical miles.

Read the full article at E&E News

Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama could gain more control over their coastal waters under new bill

April 29, 2026 — A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced legislation that would extend offshore boundaries for Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama to match those of Texas and Florida.

Rep. Troy Carter Sr. (D-LA) introduced the Offshore Parity Act alongside Reps. Mike Ezell (R-MS), Clay Higgins (R-LA) and Shomari Figures (D-LA).

According to the lawmakers, the current law gives Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama jurisdiction over just three nautical miles offshore. Texas and Florida have nine nautical miles, and the new bill would bring all three Gulf states up to that same limit.

Read the full article at WBRZ