MISSISSIPPI BONNET CARRE’ FISHERIES DISASTER RECOVERY PROGRAM
Financial Assistance Application for Commercial Fisheries, Seafood Dealers, and Charter Operators
Applications Open: August 9, 2023 at 8:00AM
Applications Close: September 7, 2023 at 11:59PM
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources is accepting financial assistance applications from commercial fisheries and charter boat participants for the 2019 Mississippi Bonnet Carré Spillway Fisheries Disaster Recovery 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. Only brick and mortar seafood dealers are eligible and MDMR or NOAA certified processors are not included (processors program to follow). 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 5 years (2014-2018).
If applying as a business, it must be domiciled in Mississippi and registered with the Mississippi Office of the Secretary of State. Participants must not be debarred, not on the government “do not pay list” and in good standing with the federal and state government.
Applications will be open for 30 days and will close Thursday, September 7, 2023, 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 before the deadline will be considered. Payout will be based on all individual fishermen values across all fisheries and funds distributed proportionally based on overall value of all fisheries and participation in all fisheries as determined by the MDMR, without the need for any supplemental documentation from applicants.
The following information will be needed for the application process:
- Contact information
- Valid email address
- All applicable 2019 calendar year fishing license numbers (Type 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 16, 25, 47, 49, 51, 54, 52, 53, 86, 87, 98 and associated permits)
- Date of birth
- 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.
An appeals process will be offered to those who are not found eligible.
