Year: 2024
Relevance
Impact assessments are necessary for supporting disaster applications and management options for states affected by disasters. Mississippi legislative representatives, state regulatory agencies and fisheries organizations need this information to support their requests for disaster declarations.
Response
The annual data on commercial landings and number of licenses issued were compiled from the NOAA Fisheries website and the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. Three benchmark periods were selected. The benchmark period used to determine 2005 Hurricane Katrina direct loses was 2000-2004. The benchmark for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 and the Bonnet Carre opening in 2011 was 2007-2009. The benchmark for the Bonnet Carre opening in 2019 and the global COVID-19 pandemic was 2015-2018
Results
Direct losses computed are from 2005-2009, 2010-2014, and 2019-2023, in pounds and number of licenses lost yearly. The devastating impacts of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 were further exacerbated by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, prolonged openings of the Bonnet Carre spillway in 2011 and 2019, and the COVID-19 pandemic starting in 2020. SLAM results were summarized in 40 video presentations at https://www.youtube.com/user/bposadas which were viewed 1,819 times in over 40 hours last year.
Recap
MASGG-funded marine economist compiles direct losses to Mississippi commercial fisheries since 2000. Seafood landings assessment models (SLAM) were developed based on the long-term secondary data on the Mississippi commercial fisheries. SLAM estimates the direct impact when the current commercial landings and number of licenses issued fall below the benchmark values. The benchmark values are the means for the selected benchmark period. The benchmark period is suggested to be at least three years before the disaster.