Vol. 7, Issue 1 - Commercial Red Snapper Fishing in the Gulf of Mexico Region

Commercial Red Snapper Fishing in the Gulf of Mexico Region  

Posadas, B.C. Mississippi MarketMaker Newsletter, Vol. 7, Issue 1, Jan. 25, 2017.

Red Snapper Commercial Landings

According to Gulf FINFO, “red snapper (Fig.1, Lutjanus campechanus) is also known as American red snapper, American reds, Caribbean red snapper, genuine red snapper, Mexican snapper, Northern red snapper, and snapper.” This fish species is sought by avid recreational fishermen and commercial fishing businesses in the Gulf of Mexico States. The Gulf red snapper fisheries are managed by NOAA Fisheries, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (http://gulfcouncil.org/), and individual states.  

FishWatch (http://www.fishwatch.gov/) describes the “U.S. wild-caught red snapper as a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed under rebuilding plans that allow limited harvest by U.S. fishermen.”  Fig. 2 shows the monthly commercial landings of this favored fish species in the Gulf of Mexico States since 2000. Monthly commercial landings were compiled from the National Marine Fisheries Service website. Until the end of 2005, no landings of red snapper were reported during some summer months. A downward trend in the monthly commercial red snapper landings is very pronounced from Jan. 2000 to the first six months in 2010. Since the latter half of 2010, the monthly commercial landings of red snapper continued to increase up to the end of 2015. 

Red Snapper Businesses Registered in MarketMaker

More than 8,000 fishing, seafood, and tourism businesses registered in MarketMaker harvest, process, sell, or serve red snapper. When the search is limited to Mississippi only, there are 91 red snapper establishments. Click this LINK to view the search results online. You can sort the results alphabetically, by relevance, or by distance to your current location. 

Economic Contribution of Red Snapper Commercial Fishing

The economic contribution of red snapper commercial fishing to the Gulf regional economy was estimated using IMPLAN (http://implan.com/) software and the 2013 input-output data for the Gulf States namely, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. Sector 17 of the 2013 IMPLAN input-output data, the commercial fishing sector, was used to represent commercial red snapper fishing. The base IMPLAN model estimated the economic contribution of commercial red snapper fishing with the assumption that the local purchases coefficient was 100%. The total economic contribution in the Gulf of Mexico Region of commercial red snapper fishing in 2015 reached $53.7 million (Table 1). Commercial red snapper fishing created 734 jobs and generated labor income amounting to $19.4 million in the five Gulf States. 

Total economic impact includes direct, indirect and induced effects estimated by using 2015 annual landing values and 2013 IMPLAN data. Local purchases percentage was set to 100%. Dollars are rounded to nearest $100,000.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is MarketMaker?
MarketMaker is the largest and most in-depth database of its kind featuring a diverse community of food-related businesses: buyers, farmers/ranchers, fisheries, farmers markets, processors/packers, wineries, restaurants, and more. MarketMaker provides simple yet powerful search tools to connect with others across the production and distribution chain (http://ms.foodmarketmaker.com/).

Where can you find Mississippi MarketMaker?
MarketMaker is located at http://ms.foodmarketmaker.com/.   
Ask Siri or Cortana to search for “Mississippi MarketMaker” on your smart phone.

How do you register your food business in Mississippi MarketMaker?
Click Register and type your email address and a password in the spaces under Register. Be prepared to enter information (and pictures) about your business.

What are the benefits in registering your food business in Mississippi MarketMaker?
Producers register their businesses in MarketMaker because food buyers of all types access our database to find products and services to meet their specific needs. Through MarketMaker, producers can reach more buyers and more efficiently form profitable business alliances.

How do you search for your business profile in Mississippi MarketMaker?
Click Search and type the name of your business in the space under Search MarketMaker.

How do you update your business profile in Mississippi MarketMaker?
Click Register and then click UPDATE YOUR PROFILE. Type your email address and password in the spaces under Account Login. Be prepared to enter updated information (and pictures) about your business.

MarketMaker Training Workshops
This training workshop is available upon request by a group of 6-12 producers, extension agents, state regulatory agencies staff, and teachers. Each workshop will best fit the needs of the participants. Email Dr. Ben Posadas for details at ben.posadas@msstate.edu.

How do you search for local food businesses in Mississippi MarketMaker?
Click Search and type a keyword in the space under Search MarketMaker.

What is the Market Research tool of MarketMaker?
The MarketMaker research tool is an interactive mapping resource for identifying target markets, developing customized census profiles, and mapping food related businesses over demographic maps.

Where do you find the Market Research tool in MarketMaker?
Look for the Market Research section in MarketMaker and click Research your market now or Use previous version.