The Associated Press reports that more than 20 Mississippi fishermen are suing the state over a law that now allows private companies to lease up to 80 percent of the state’s public oyster reefs. Mississippi Commercial Fisheries United, the group filing the suit, argues this change threatens access to reefs they’ve relied on for generations.

In a statement, the group calls the state’s plan “unconstitutional and discriminatory.” And, if the plan goes through, it would “unjustly exclude our current oyster fishing families from their direct access to harvest from reefs,” the statement continued.

The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources says the leasing plan would boost oyster production while meeting environmental guidelines. But the fishermen say the industry and ecosystem are still fragile, especially after massive oyster losses in 2019 from freshwater flooding.

Read the full statement from the Mississippi fishermen →

Main photo: Members of the Mississippi Commercial Fisheries United stand together in front of a government building. Photo courtesy of Ryan Bradley.