Introduction

The coastline of Mississippi may be small, but the wetlands and tidal areas provide nurseries for shrimp and other marine species. Shrimp is the largest fishery in Mississippi, and fishermen mainly harvest brown and white shrimp (Farfantepenaeus aztecus and Litopenaeus setiferus), though there are some landings of pink shrimp (Farfantepenaeus duorarum). In 2015, Mississippi landed approximately 10 million pounds (almost exclusively white and brown) with a value of $11.6 million. The method of harvest of shrimp in Mississippi is primarily otter trawls and butterfly nets.

The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) and the Mississippi Commission on Marine Resources are charged with managing fisheries in state waters. Federal waters off Mississippi are managed by NOAA Fisheries and the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council.

For more information about the shrimp fishery in Mississippi, visit FINFO.

For more information about the shrimp fishery in federal waters, visit FishWatch.