The shrimp fishery is closed annually off Texas to
allow brown shrimp to reach a larger and more
valuable size prior to harvest, and to prevent waste
of brown shrimp that might otherwise be discarded
due to their small size.
The Texas closure ranges from 45 to 90 days. The
closing and opening dates of the Texas closure are
based on the results of biological sampling by the
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).
This sampling is used to project the closure, which
coincides with brown shrimp in Texas bays and
estuaries reaching a mean size of 90 mm, and
beginning strong emigrations out of the bays and
estuaries during maximum duration ebb tides. The
termination date of the Texas closure is based on
continued sampling by TPWD to develop
projections of when brown shrimp will reach a
mean size of 112 mm, and when maximum duration
ebb tides will occur.
NOAA Fisheries Service will re-open federal waters
off Texas when the state of Texas opens its
territorial waters.
Historically, the opening has
been on or about 15 July. If there is a need to adjust
the July 15 date for the termination of the closure,
notification of the revised termination date will be
published in the Federal Register and in additional
news bulletins.
Federal Waters off Texas to be Closed to Shrimping
US - NOAA Fisheries Service has announced that federal waters from nine to 200 nautical miles off Texas will close to shrimp trawling on 15 May, 2012, corresponding to the time Texas closes its waters to shrimp trawling.
by Lucy Towers