24-45-CWS | October 23, 2024
BILOXI, Miss. – The 2019 Mississippi Bonnet Carré Spillway Fisheries Disaster Recovery Program financial assistance applications for commercial fisheries, seafood dealers and charter boat participants will reopen Monday, October 28, 2024, at 8 a.m. on the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) website at dmr.ms.gov/2019bcrelief/ for new applicants only. Anyone who received funds in the previous opening of the direct financial assistance program is not eligible to receive funds from this current program.
Applicants must be a Mississippi resident, 18 years or older and have possessed a valid Mississippi resident commercial fishing or dealer 2019 calendar year license with MDMR documented landings, verified by MDMR through trip tickets during the following five historical years 2014-2018. To qualify as a dealer, applicants must have been in possession of an active dealer license in 2019, have purchased seafood from an active Mississippi commercial fisherman between 2014 and 2018 and records of these transactions must be present in the MDMR trip ticket database. Eligible Mississippi resident charter boat captains must be 18 years or older and possessed a valid Mississippi resident charter boat license for the 2019 calendar year and at least one of the previous five years (2014-2018). If applying as a firm or corporation, it must be domiciled in Mississippi and registered with the Mississippi Office of the Secretary of State.
Applications will be open for 30 days and will close Tuesday, November 26, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. No late applications will be considered and there will be no appeals if the deadline is missed. Funding allocation has been structured so that only applications submitted by the deadline will be considered.
The following information is required for the application process: contact information, valid email address, all applicable 2019 calendar year fishing license numbers, date of birth and social security number or employer ID tax number. A W-9 form, incorporated into the application, will also be required for payment, and retained by MDMR.
For assistance submitting an application, contact the MDMR at 228-374-5000. For questions regarding the status of an application or payment, or if an email with completed individual application information is not received, contact Traci Floyd at 228-523-4068 or 2019bcrelief@dmr.ms.gov.
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources is dedicated to enhancing, protecting and conserving marine interests of the state by managing all marine life, public trust wetlands, adjacent uplands and waterfront areas to provide for the optimal commercial, recreational, educational and economic uses of these resources consistent with environmental concerns and social changes. Visit the DMR online at dmr.ms.gov.