Qualitative assessment of the impacts of marine debris on Mississippi commercial shrimping

Commercial fishing is a fragile industry that is exposed to a multitude of stressors. Marine debris is known to be one of these stressors; however, the prevalence and impact is rarely assessed. Therefore, this analysis assessed the perceived encounter frequency and impacts of marine debris on commercial fishing through an end-of-the year survey of registered Mississippi commercial shrimpers. Ninety-eight percent (98%) of shrimpers indicated they encountered marine debris in 2018 with 85% encountering it frequently. The most common debris reported to be encountered was abandoned or derelict fishing gear (93% of shrimpers), primarily crab traps. Most shrimpers reported reduced catch (80%), lost fishing time (82%), and vessel repairs (75%) due to marine debris. Additionally, 93% of shrimpers categorized marine debris as destructive to their operations. These results indicate that marine debris does have significant direct impacts on the commercial shrimping industry in Mississippi and likely other regions.