Commercial Finfish Industry
Mississippi Commercial Finfish Industry
The primary food fish species harvested include red snapper, redfish, seatrout, flounder, mullet, and sheepshead. The bulk of the volume of finfish collected for industrial uses consists of menhaden. During the past decade, the annual finfish commercial landings averaged 243 million pounds valued at $18 million.
Commercial finfish landings contributed 97 percent of the total Mississippi commercial landings from 2009 to 2018. In dockside values, finfish landings added 45 percent to Mississippi commercial landing values during the past decade.

In response to requests by state regulatory agencies and seafood organizations, the 2009 (and later) economic contributions of the Mississippi seafood industry by major species were imputed from state estimates published by NOAA Fisheries. Extension and research publications were developed to document the economic contributions of the major seafood species landed, processed, sold, and consumed in Mississippi.
Sales are the gross sales by businesses within the economic region affected by an activity. Sales, income, value-added, and tax contributions are measured in dollars. Employment or job contribution is expressed in terms of a mix of both full-time and part-time jobs. The total economic contribution is the sum of direct, indirect, and induced contributions.
The economic contributions of the state finfish industry in 2009 are shown in the table below. The sales contributions reached $101.91 million in 2009 and generated 2,445 full-time and part-time jobs. Income contribution was $40.45 million, and value-added created was $52.6 million. The industry added tax impacts reaching $4.68 million.

Lesser economic contributions of the Mississippi finfish industry were estimated in 2011, as shown in the table below. The sales contributions of the sector fell to $81.64 million, which generated 2,003 full-time and part-time jobs. Income contribution reached $33.14 million, and value-added created was $42.75 million. The industry made tax impacts totaling $6.99 million.

Updated estimates of the 2015 economic contributions of the finfish industry in Mississippi are shown below. The sales contribution of the industry reached $215 million. The value-added contribution created by the industry reached over $108 million. The industry generated more than 4,300 full-time and part-time jobs and income contribution amounting to more than $82 million.

MISSISSIPPI MARKETMAKER
Vol. 9 No. 3 / Commercial Red Drum Fishing
Vol. 9 No. 2 / Commercial Spotted Seatrout Fishing
Vol. 9 No. 1 / Commercial Spanish Mackerel Fishing
Vol. 8 No. 17 / Commercial Blue Catfish Fishing
Vol. 8 No. 16 / Commercial Yellowedge Grouper Fishing
Vol. 8 No. 15 / Commercial Vermilion Snapper Fishing
Vol. 8 No. 14 / Commercial Yellowfin Tuna Fishing
Vol. 8 No. 13 / Commercial Gag Grouper Fishing
Vol. 8 No. 12 / Commercial Black Drum Fishing
Vol. 8 No. 10 | Commercial Yellowtail Snapper Fishing
Vol. 8 No. 7 / Commercial Red Grouper Fishing
Vol. 7 No. 14 | Commercial Southern Flounder Fishing in the Gulf of Mexico States
Vol. 7 No. 13 | Commercial Menhaden Fishing in the Gulf of Mexico States
Vol. 7 No. 12 | Commercial Catfish Production in the United States
Vol. 7, No. 5 - Commercial Striped Mullet Fishing
Vol. 7, No. 3 - Commercial Red Drum Fishing in the Gulf of Mexico Region
Vol. 7, No. 1 - Commercial Red Snapper Fishing in the Gulf of Mexico Region
Publications
News
LAPLACE, La. -- Heavy rainfall and snowmelt from the Midwest in 2019 led to three major firsts in the Bonnet Carré Spillway’s history, resulting in a massive influx of fresh water that caused adverse effects on marine life and seafood industries across the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
While the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is closing the Bonnet Carré Spillway this week, economic impacts of its months-long opening are expected to be felt in the seafood industry for years to come.
ELLISVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State University representatives met with agricultural clients in Ellisville recently to discuss research and education needs for 2018. More than 115 individuals attended this year's event.
BILOXI, Miss. -- Mississippi State University researchers and Extension Service agents heard suggestions from Coastal area agricultural producers and industry leaders about the research and education they need from the university in 2017.
The MSU Coastal Research and Extension Center Producer Advisory Council meeting was held on Feb. 28 in Biloxi. The annual meeting helps the university allocate time and resources to the most important issues facing Mississippi's agricultural producers and related industries.
BILOXI, Miss. -- Wild-caught shrimp contribute millions of dollars to Mississippi’s economy each year, and experts say better flavor gives them a competitive advantage over imported and pond-raised shrimp.
Dave Burrage, Mississippi State University Extension Service fisheries specialist, said consumers who participate in blind taste tests tend to prefer the taste of wild-caught Gulf shrimp over that of pond-raised, imported products.