Page 53 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2024

of
day before returning home. That total includes about 70 percent of
Fishing
With the Mississippi Gulf Coast such a popular tourism destination, many visitors spend multiple days in Mississippi and often bring their families. At a minimum, those visitors will need lodging, food and fuel during their stay here. Some buy groceries and cook food themselves. Others prefer to visit some of the magnificent restaurants serving fresh Gulf seafood daily along the coast.
the oysters and 40 percent of the blue crabs.
In 2020, the Mississippi seafood industry contributed $347 million in sales to the state economy. This created 6,460 jobs with a total personal income of $137 million, according to Mississippi State University Extension sources. Shrimp dominates the Mississippi commercial fishery. In
When not fishing or eating, anglers and their families might visit the beach, try their luck in one of the casinos, enjoy some evening entertainment or participate in a multitude of other recreational opportunities. Just about everything takes some expenditure of money.
Commercial fishing provides another major economic impact to the state. According to the National Marine Fisheries Service, the combined commercial fish and shellfish harvest from the five gulf states equals about 20 percent of the total U.S. landings, second only to Alaska.
2020, shrimpers landed $167 million worth of crustaceans in Mississippi. That created 2,995 jobs with a total personal income of $67 million. The combined oyster and crab harvest added $25 million, creating another 542 jobs with a total personal income of $10 million.
When ordering shrimp, crabs, or oysters at your favorite Gulf Coast restaurant, remember the thousands of people who made that meal possible and the thousands more who depend upon those people supporting them.
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