MISSISSIPPI SOUND (WLOX) - A longtime Vietnamese fisherman took a group on a special fishing trip Monday. They were part of an event called "Come Fish off My Boat." The unique trip called attention to the plight of commercial fishermen and sparked conversations about efforts to restore the fishery.

Captain Bien Do hosted visitors aboard his 60 foot shrimp boat, which pulled away from the Pass Christian harbor shortly after sunrise Monday. The purpose of this trip is to give scientists, researchers and others a close-up look at the challenges facing longtime fishermen.

In a good season, his boat would be dredging oysters right now. But recent years have been challenging.

Thao Vu is with the Mississippi Coalition for Vietnamese-American Fisher Folks & Families.

"She used to be able to harvest a lot of oysters back then. But in the past four years, it's been very, very depleted. And it's a terrible state for the oyster reefs," said Vu.

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