April 13, 2025

Alabama Updates Enforcement Policies During Jubilees

MONTGOMERY Ala.
By Rick McCann
Blue RAM Media
April 13, 2025

After receiving several complaints about being given tickets for not having a fishing license during a jubilee event last year near Point Clear, State Rep. Matt Simpson, R-Daphne went to work to see if that could be changed.
He introduced HB55 during this session to prevent unnecessary arrests of people taking part in a jubilee.
The bill would have protected people taking part in this unique event that only occurs in Alabama and in Japan.

Jubilees can happen without notice and can bring an abundance of seafood from crabs to fish, to shrimp to the water’s surface where they are easily scooped up with buckets and with your hands.
Not everyone involved in gathering the bounty are legally licensed to fish and therein lied a problem every time a jubilee occurred.
For the lucky few who stumble upon one, a coastal Alabama jubilee can mean a haul of fresh flounder, shrimp, and crabs practically at their feet.

Last year’s jubilee led to arrests and fines for people caught with undersized fish, over-the-limit flounder, and a bad attitude.

Now, Alabama officials believe they have found a way to preserve the thrill of the catch without the legal fallout.
State Rep. Matt Simpson, R-Daphne, said the agreement is the result of meetings he had with ADCNR officials including Chris Blankenship, the agency’s commissioner. Blankenship is also a longtime coastal resident who headed up ADCNR’s Marine Resources Division from 2011 to 2017.
“This is a great example of government helping people without getting in the way, making sure that a legacy event like a jubilee can continue to be enjoyed by everyone,” Simpson said.

Simpson noted that the City of Daphne is considered the “Jubilee City” featuring shopping centers like “Jubilee Square.” The high school football team plays its games at “Jubilee Stadium.”
His bill is no longer needed and will not move forward he said.