The Socioeconomic Impacts of Hurricanes Katrina & Rita on Gulf Fisheries
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The Gulf of Mexico is home to a significant share of the U.S. fishing industry, representing almost 20% of commercial landings and roughly 30% of saltwater recreational fishing trips.1 |
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Hurricanes Katrina and Rita had a major impact on both of these
sectors as well as the supporting infrastructure that the commercial
harvesters rely upon in order to operate (e.g., seafood dealers,
processors, suppliers) and anglers require to go fishing (e.g.,
bait shops, marinas, etc.). NMFS has conducted a series of baseline
assessments of the commercial and recreational fishing sectors
as well as the coastal communities and their supporting marine
infrastructure as an initial step in assessing hurricane-related
damages. |
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