BALANCING THE SCALES: MISSISSIPPI RIVER BASIN FIELDS AND FEEDLOTS IMPACTS ON GULF SHRIMP AND FISHERIES

During the year 2000, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency led federal-state-tribe Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force has the responsibility for developing an action plan which will provide recommendations for controlling and reducing hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico. This enormous task will require the cooperation of all governments and stakeholders within the Mississippi River and Atchafalaya River Basins (MARB), and on the Gulf of Mexico. All partners will need to focus on facilitating efforts to understand the ecological and economic consequences of the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico and within the MARB; facilitating efforts to monitor and model nutrient loading within the MARB and changes to the hypoxic zone; and assisting States in quantifying and reducing nutrient loads from high priority tributaries that contribute to Gulf hypoxia.This paper will provide the authors' views as well as the initial views of the Task Force for balancing the economic and ecological concerns within the Basin and the Gulf.