Introduction

The Mississippi Sound has been a hotspot for blue crab for centuries and the blue crab fishery of Mississippi is an important part of this state’s heritage and culture. in 2015, this small fishing community of only about 50 crabbers harvested 795,000 pounds of crab each year worth close to $1.2 million in dockside value.

The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) manages all coastal fisheries and habitat protection programs for the state, including the blue crab industry. Preventative measures such as minimum size limits, protection of egg-bearing females, closure areas in nursery habitats, and a winter crab sanctuary are current precautionary measures that protect blue crab stocks in state waters. MDMR partners with the Gulf Coast Research Lab (GCRL) on a derelict trap program to remove damaged, lost, or unused traps from the water to prevent pollution, ghost fishing, and habitat damage.

The 2013 Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission Blue Crab Stock Assessment determined that the Mississippi blue crab fishery is included within the “western” blue crab stock of the Gulf along with AL, LA, and TX and this stock is currently not overfished and not experiencing overfishing.