The purpose of the proposed three-year project is to work with commercial shrimpers to remove marine debris and assess both the distribution of marine debris encountered by shrimpers and recovery of…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded a $1,300,404 cooperative agreement to Mississippi Commercial Fisheries United Inc. under the Marine Debris Program to support marine debris removal and assessment efforts from September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2025. Through this funding, Mississippi Commercial Fisheries United Inc. will continue and expand an existing derelict crab trap removal incentive program for Mississippi commercial shrimpers. The program will add incentives to remove other marine debris such as plastics and develop an incentive-based oyster farming gear recovery program. Funding will also support assessments using unmanned aerial vehicles and field surveys to evaluate marine debris distribution encountered by shrimpers and vegetation recovery in areas impacted by debris within Mississippi state waters and adjacent offshore federal waters.

The purpose of the proposed three-year project is to work with commercial shrimpers to remove marine debris and assess both the distribution of marine debris encountered by shrimpers and recovery of vegetation impacted by marine debris within and along the mississippi sound. This work will be done through the completion of specific tasks including: 1) continuation of a successful crab trap removal incentive program for mississippi commercial shrimpers (i.e., derelict trap program); 2) adding other debris including plastics removal incentives to the derelict trap program including expanding and piloting the framework of the derelict trap program to incentivize broader marine debris removal in mississippi state territorial waters and adjacent offshore federal waters; 3) developing and implementing an incentive-based oyster farming gear recovery or removal program for oyster farmers offshore of deer island, MS and conducting assessments via unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and field surveys