Biloxi, Mississippi: The Original “Seafood Capital of the World”

Biloxi Shrimp Co.’s family heritage in the wild-caught Gulf shrimp industry is rich, long and forever intertwined with our hometown of Biloxi, Mississippi — a city that has existed under many flags, including Spain, France, England and, of course, the United States. By the turn of the century, although a town of only 8,000 people, Biloxi’s abundant seafood industry earned it the name “Seafood Capital of the World.”

Before it was called Biloxi, this beautiful area’s prime location — with the beautiful Gulf of Mexico to the South and its protected back bay on the other side — made it an attractive landing spot for explorers and maritime interests. Seafood in the sound and the Gulf was always abundant, and by the 1920s, there were two cannery districts and more than 40 seafood factories. In 1870, the Louisville and Nashville railroad joined the cities of New Orleans, Louisiana and Mobile, Alabama, with Biloxi in the middle and ready to provide seafood.

Although located about as deep in the American South as one can get, Biloxi’s population became a much more diverse mix of ethnic groups than its neighboring cities and states — influenced by hardworking immigrant cultures. These cultures included some from the coastal region of Yugoslavia known today as Croatia, along with Austro-Hungarians, Bohemians (from what is now the Czech Republic), Polish, the French-Canadians and more. It is said the Slavic portion of Biloxi’s new labor force in the mid-1800s had migrated to the region to seek political asylum from the troubled Austro-Hungarian empire.

Many worked in the canning factories while others had valuable skills in boat building and seamanship. The fishing industry provided employment which was like the pursuit of fishing in their native countries and areas. Oysters and shrimp kept them busy year-round. As time went by, Vietnamese fisherman moved their families to Biloxi in the 1970’s for the very same reasons.

“Schooner oystermen tonged for the bivalves during the winter months and shrimpers trawled for the crustaceans during the summer. They brought in their catches to the many seafood factories along Biloxi’s Back Bay or Front Beach,” according to the Mississippi Historical Society.

Having arrived almost 100 years ago, our Biloxi Shrimp Co. families — the Mavar and the Suarez/McLendon families — are part of this rich cultural tapestry: with the Mavars having immigrated from Austria/Hungary (now Croatia) and Suarez/McLendons from the Canary Islands.

Why is it called Biloxi? It was the name of the Native Americans that once lived here: it's even thought to mean "first people!"

In the very beginning, Biloxi was founded in the year 1699 when Pierre Le Moyne, Sieur d’Iberville was sent by the French minister of Marine to find the mouth of the Mississippi River about 60 miles to the west. He and 14 men landed in what is now Biloxi and soon became friends with the local Biloxi Native American tribe, who themselves were thought to have arrived not long before the French. The Native Americans spoke the “Biloxi” language — a Sioux language — and are thought to have migrated from the Northeast.

While seafood is still a big part of the economy today, the skyline has changed since casino gaming was legalized in 1991. Seafood factories sit in the shadow of multiple world-class casino resorts. The people of Biloxi are hard-working, determined people who share the common thread of having endured many hurricanes, hardships and recoveries through the years.

While Biloxi may not be the Seafood Capital of the World anymore, it is certainly a powerhouse when it comes to the shrimp industry. The Biloxi Shrimp Co. family — including our immediate families, our shrimpers and our hard-working employees — is proud to share a little taste of Biloxi and our history with you and the rest of the country through our delicious shrimp.

Click here to order mouthwatering wild-caught shrimp straight from the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico through Biloxi Shrimp Co.!