Marine Resources

Mississippi's marine coastline consists of Harrison, Hancock, and Jackson Counties. These counties contain 46,000 acres of wetlands and water bottoms. The southern county boundaries abut Mississippi Sound, a 113 square mile estuary with a 100 square mile watershed and 17 square miles of tidal marsh. Further to the south lies the Gulf of Mexico, one of the most biologically diverse and productive bodies of water in the world. The high biological productivity of this region is an important contributing factor to Mississippi's substantial seafood industry. Harrison County is the fastest growing county in the state. This influx of people is creating severe demand for infrastructure, including sewage treatment systems, the lack of which poses a serious threat to water quality and fishery production. Multiple user groups must be accommodated on a geographically limited coastline and compete equally for use of coastal resources. Like other coastal areas, the Mississippi Gulf Coast has geographic features and natural resources which provide opportunities for economic activity unique to the region. A delicate balance must be maintained in order to exploit these resources for economic advantage while at the same time preserve them for future generations.

Mississippi's coastal recreation and tourism industry is a major portion of the entire state's recreation and tourism industry. Coastal tourism accounts for approximately one-third of the total state tourism expenditures, with recreational boating and related industries accounting for approximately 90 percent of the total state expenditures in that category. The industry consists of typical coastal tourism development activities, as well as a large charter boat and recreational boating fleet.

The recreational fishing industry, in particular, has a significant economic impact on the coastal economy in Mississippi. Over 26 percent of the anglers fishing in Mississippi come from out of state. The influx of outside money spent on bait, fuel, tackle, food and lodging represents new money in the state economy as opposed to merely a redistribution of disposable income from coastal residents. The growth in recreational fishing participation is expected to increase by 18.5 percent by the year 2025 in Mississippi. Recent surveys show that Mississippi anglers annually spend over $50 million on food and beverages, over $9 million on lodging, over $19 million on bait and ice, over $15 million on boat fuel, and over $57 million on fishing tackle. About 10 percent of the $236 million spent annually by Mississippi anglers is spent in the three coastal counties. The Mississippi recreational fishery also receives federal funds in the form of sport fish restoration apportionments (which are generated by taxes on fishing-related purchases). Mississippi receives over $2 million a year or about $5.24 per license holder. These monies are used to build access infrastructure such as boat ramps and fishing piers, develop artificial reefs and conduct boating safety programs.

In addition to being the cultural and historical foundation for many Coast communities, the Mississippi seafood industry is a major contributor to the state's economy. Landings average about 220 million pounds of seafood products entering Mississippi ports annually worth about $45 million to the fishermen. The total value of the industry exceeds $450 million annually. Over 5,000 people are employed in the harvesting, processing and distribution of seafood products. Additional 10,000 persons are employed indirectly through marine related sales, services and support of the seafood industry. Pascagoula/Moss Point and Gulfport are among the leading seafood ports in the nation. There are four major fisheries in which Mississippi producers and processors participate--shrimp, crabs, oysters and finfish.There are approximately 880 documented shrimp vessels in Mississippi employing over 1,500 individuals. About 1,800 residential and 600 non-resident commercial shrimp licenses are sold in Mississippi each year indicating that many smaller boats which are not required to be documented also participate in the fishery. Another issue associated with the production sector of the shrimp industry which has existed for sometime but recently gained prominence is bycatch in the fishery. Shrimp trawls are inherently non-selective harvesting gear, that is, non-target species are caught along with the species being sought. Shrimp fishermen must sort through what comes on board in order to separate shrimp and other marketable species from the catch. The component of the catch which remains is typically shoveled back overboard and comprises what is known as shrimp fishery "bycatch". One component of this bycatch which has received a lot of attention is sea turtles.

The crab fishery has an annual economic impact of $3 million. When production falls below the two million pound average annual harvest, Mississippi processors handle competition from out-of-state plants by trucking in crabs during the winter months from Louisiana to meet market demands for fresh crab meat. About 200 commercial crab licenses are sold annually in Mississippi, but only about 60 fishermen trap crabs. The other licenses are sold to allow for incidental harvest in other fisheries.

Mississippi oystermen are getting less for their catch in recent times reflecting a sharp increase in production and loss of market share. The Gulf of Mexico oyster industry in general is currently the target of consumer groups concerned with the risk of illness associated with raw oyster consumption. Although only a problem for a small segment of the population with underlying medical problems, consumption of raw oysters from the Gulf of Mexico has gotten its recent share of bad press. As a result, the Gulf oyster industry has had to institute an aggressive marketing campaign and educate consumers as to who may actually be at risk. Molluscan shellfish of all types are particularly problematic in this regard because they are among the small number of human food items which are eaten raw. Annual oyster production is highly variable from year to year due primarily to natural environmental fluctuations. Many of Mississippi's most productive areas have been closed to harvest due to increased pollution associated with coastal development. Due to variability in production, anywhere from 200 to 700 oyster licenses are sold annually in Mississippi and approximately 80 percent of the oysters processed here are harvested in other Gulf states. The industry is worth $22 million. Mississippi sees a direct annual impact of $6 million of value added because most of the product is consumed locally.The finfish industry in Mississippi is composed of two segments: menhaden and edible finfish.

The state's menhaden industry is centered in Pascagoula and is responsible for Mississippi's high national ranking in total pounds of seafood landed. The Gulf menhaden fleet contains approximately 50 large vessels owned by individual processing firms. Major products include fish meal, used primarily in animal feeds, and fish oils. Mississippi landings average about 55 million pounds valued at $2.7 million annually. The menhaden fishery is one of the United States' oldest and most valuable fisheries with landings dating to the late 1800s. The fishery can be separated into two components--the reduction fishery and the bait fishery. Landings for the reduction fishery greatly overshadow bait landings. Wet reduction of menhaden yields three products--fish meal, fish oil, and condensed fish solubles. Menhaden meal is a valuable ingredient for animal feeds. The poultry industry is heavily dependent on fish meal to improve feed efficiency and produce maximum growth rates. Menhaden oil is used both in edible form and in non-consumptive products such as paints, plastics and resins.

Mississippi is a very small producer of edible finfish obtained by commercial fishermen with fewer than 30 individuals participating as full-time commercial finfishermen. However, over 300 commercial licenses are sold annually for the harvest of edible finfish indicating many part-time fishermen. Trawlers catch foodfish incidental to shrimping and industrial fishing. Total foodfish landings average about one million pounds annually.

While seafood landings in Mississippi are significant, the bulk of economic activity is generated by the processing sector. Much of the seafood processed in Mississippi is landed in other Gulf states. There are 32 processing plants and 22 wholesale operations in Mississippi employing about 1,300 people. Mississippi seafood businesses annually process about 60 million pounds of shrimp, 80 percent of which comes from other Gulf states or is imported. The shrimp fishery is estimated to have an annual economic impact of $200 to $250 million. A study was done by Mississippi State University's Coastal Research and Extension Center to document the total economic impact of the Mississippi seafood industry. The industry is responsible for about $489 million in economic activity annually, including $256 million in income and about 28,000 man-years of employment.

Gaming development has altered the appearance of the coastline dramatically. This is particularly true in Biloxi where multi-story parking garages and hotels now stand where shrimp boat docks and seafood factories once existed. Some coast residents feel that the new facilities are a vast improvement over what was considered a dilapidated section of waterfront. Others feel that the neon, lasers and glitz have erased the city's true character. One thing is certain, many waterfront dependent industries have experienced dislocation as a result of dockside gaming development. Zoning changes instituted to accommodate and encourage casinos have resulted in increased land values for what was once commercial and light industrial waterfront property. One of the hardest hit areas was the commercial fishing fleet in Biloxi. Support structures for fishing operations like ice and fuel docks as well as unloading and berthing facilities were either lost outright or moved to less accessible locations.

Many activities such as boating, fishing, shipping, and beach recreation are water-dependent by necessity. Changes in coastal land use have impacted water-dependent industries. The harvesting sector of Mississippi's $500 million seafood industry has lost access to vital vessel support services such as ice plants, fuel docks, and unloading facilities. Vessels which travel to other ports or states to receive these primary services remove a substantial portion of the market for secondary support services such as net shops, marine repair businesses, marine supply businesses, etc. There are many of these small businesses along the Mississippi coast. There is also a shortage of mooring facilities for small craft of all types (commercial and recreational). For example, county and municipal marinas along the coast can provide dockage for about 1,550 vessels, but over 400 commercial and recreational boat owners are currently on waiting lists for these dock spaces. These shortages are most acute in Biloxi, Ocean Springs and Gulfport where waiting lists are as high as 73 percent of existing facility capacity. Re-zoning to allow for gaming development in some areas has caused shore-side land values to increase too high for the private sector to come in and fill the need for mooring facilities. There are about 36,000 registered boats over 16 feet in length and thirty-eight marinas of various sizes are located in the three coastal counties.

The Mississippi Gulf Coast is entering an unprecedented phase of economic growth with beneficial impacts both to the state and the entire region. Care must be taken to preserve the natural resources which make the area unique and attract visitors and residents to the coast. Exploitation of these natural resources must go hand in hand with preservation of them for future generations. Development and growth projections for the Mississippi Gulf Coast serve to underscore the importance of maintaining the delicate balance between resource conservation and economic growth.