Shrimp season started this week in state waters as economic hardships plague the Coast industry.
On Monday, the 2023-2024 shrimp season in Mississippi territorial waters opened at 6 a.m. but the rush to hit the waters was not as robust as it has been on the Gulf Coast in prior years.
WLOX reported on Monday evening that only 244 commercial shrimping licenses were issued by MDMR for this season. The number is significantly below that of years past. According to WLOX, MDMR shared the following breakdown of the number of shrimping licenses in previous years:
- 2022 – 309
- 2021 – 375
- 2019 – 449
- 2009 – 713
- 1999 – 1,694
The cost of fuel coupled with the impacts of inflation on business operations and the competition due to cheaper imported shrimp are putting a strain on shrimpers and their families.
Congressman Mike Ezell represents the 4th Congressional District in South Mississippi. Earlier this year, Ezell joined other members of Congress representing Gulf Coast states in sending a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative to highlight issues facing the Gulf Coast shrimping industry.
The bipartisan group of U.S. Representatives pointed to foreign imports threatening to put domestic producers out of business.
“As a lifelong resident of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, I know many people who rely on the shrimping industry to support their families,” Congressman Ezell said in a statement. “We can’t allow other nations to break the rules and put hardworking Americans out of business.”
While the number of commercial shrimp licenses purchased in Gulf states is rapidly decreasing, shrimp are still one of the most valuable commercial species in Mississippi, Ezell said, with dockside values accounting for over $12 million in 2021.
Recreational and commercial shrimp season north of the Intracoastal Waterway will close at 12:01 a.m. on January 1, 2024.
For areas south of the Intracoastal Waterway and west of the Gulfport Ship Channel, shrimp season will close at 12:01 a.m. on May 1, 2024.
Licensed live-bait shrimping is open year-round in designated areas.
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) announced the opening of shrimp season just a week ago, stating then that all regulations are in full force and effect, and all boats engaged in catching or transporting shrimp from Mississippi waters must be licensed or permitted by the MDMR before beginning operations.
Frank Corder
