Daphne lawmaker wants to remove fishing license requirement for jubilees

DAPHNE, Ala. ( WKRG ) — Following several citations given to people during a jubilee in June, Alabama House Representative Matt Simpson of Daphne pre-filed a bill aiming to eliminate the need for fishing licenses to participate in jubilees.

Jubilees happen when sea life gathers at shallower depths due to a lack of oxygen in deeper waters — leaving people able to stand in the water and grab fish at the shore.

In Alabama, it is required to have a recreational fishing license, and without one, people can face fines if seen fishing in the waters.

“Why does my family have to have, you know, out of towners have to have a fishing license from Alabama to go walk out in the waters and pick up a flounder that’s right there ankle deep?” Simpson questioned.

Simpson pre-filed House Bill 55, which would remove the requirement to need a fishing license to participate in jubilees specifically. He said he hopes his bill will differentiate between “fishing” and participating in a jubilee.

“Why wouldn’t you want to experience that event?” Simpson said. “Why wouldn’t you want to come in and just be like, ‘This is an amazing opportunity to see something that doesn’t occur except in two places in the world.'”

Daphne Mayor Robin LeJeune said he’s in favor of Simpson’s bill and hopes it will make that distinction between fishing and jubilees clearer.

“Anything that’s going to help our residents, our citizens, you know, and it’s going to help Fish and Wildlife and Conservation Services kind of come together and have an understanding of what really is going on,” LeJeune added. “They’re following a rule that they think is fishing. So this helps clarify, takes that judgment out of it to where then they know, okay, what if it’s a jubilee? We’re not going to come down there and say, hey, little Johnny, you need a fishing license.”

The next legislative session starts in February, and Simpson said if passed, the bill could take effect starting Oct. 1, 2025.

“It’s just to get more people awareness of what’s going on, to have the opportunity to talk about, hey, wow, okay, Daphne’s the Jubilee City,” Simpson explained. “What is it? You know, people say, Hey, I’m from Daphne. Let them go see what it is. Let them just experience it.”

WKRG News 5 reached out to the Alabama Department of Conversation and Natural Resources for comment on Simpson’s bill and has not heard back.

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