The state Department of Marine Resources has set June 17 as the opening date of the 2008-2009 shrimp season in Mississippi waters.

The agency said the opening was determined after an extensive shrimp sampling program.

The legal minimum size for shrimp in Mississippi is 68 per pound. This minimum average size is used as a standard for determining the opening date.

DMR said the season is to close Dec. 31, except south of the intracoastal waterway.