This funding will support a range of initiatives, including oyster license buyback, fish tagging research, habitat restoration, and coastal educational outreach programs.
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More boats are currently active in the fishery than the resource can support, causing the available harvest to be quickly exploited and habitat values significantly diminished.
We have witnessed excessive loss of previously wadable reefs in Galveston Bay, Matagorda Bay, San Antonio Bay, Mesquite Bay, Carlos Bay, Aransas Bay and Copano Bay.
Texas oyster reefs are a critical component of the natural landscape, providing important services for our bay systems and coastline.
The value and services oyster reefs provide are undeniable. Oyster reefs…
- Are critical in determining current, acting as baffles slowing water surges and stemming shoreline erosion
- Are a seed source for adjacent reefs
- Serve as habitat for hundreds of aquatic species
- Provide recreational fishing opportunities
- Offer other numerous ecosystem services with ecological benefits far greater than the harvest value
While resilient, the oyster fishery has limitations and we must be proactive in our efforts to improve its sustainability and promote reef growth.
Our Solutions:
Improving the Sustainability of our Texas Oyster Fishery
We need to prioritize the ecological and structural value of oysters in the water including safeguarding existing reefs and creating new ones.
Photo Courtesy of John Blaha
Solutions to healthy and sustainable Texas oyster fishery include…
- Promote and increase participation in the license buyback program
- Expand the state bay-bottom lease program (certificate of location) for commercial oystermen
- Create opportunities for non-harvestable bay-bottom conservation leases
- Promote increased participation in cultivated oyster mariculture (oyster farming)
- Designate sanctuary reefs in bay systems to serve as spawning reserves for public reefs
- Refine metrics for opening and closing shellfish harvest areas
- Develop and execute strategic restoration plans
The oyster is so much more than just a fishery; it is a crucial foundational component of our bays’ ecosystem – healthy oyster reefs mean a strong and sustainable coastline now and in the future.
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Texas Oyster Updates
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission (TPWC) adopted proposed amendments to the Statewide Oyster Fishery Proclamation that accomplishes a suite of actions, providing positive change for the oyster fishery
The ability to fund these important conservation efforts is directly attributed to the strength of our local chapters and their volunteer efforts. They stepped up in a BIG way to make a difference up and down the Texas coast.
Advocacy Director Shane Bonnot provides an in-depth look at our Texas oyster fishery including its history, why it’s important, the challenges it faces, and sustainability solutions. Get a better understanding and holistic view of this indispensable fishery by reading more.
80% of oyster reefs have disappeared, reduced from overharvesting and environmental events. The oyster is so much more than just a fishery; it is a crucial foundational component of our bays’ ecosystem.
Oysters play a vital role in our ecosystems, our recreational fisheries and our communities. Alongside an entire team of marine biologists and a stellar film crew – CCA, Mossy Oak and AFTCO have put together a short film highlighting the importance of our oyster reefs and the critters that call them home.
“We are excited to make this announcement and would like to thank our members, volunteers, sponsors and industry partners for their continued support.”
CCA Texas and Tito’s Handmade Vodka recently teamed up to add an additional five reef beds in the Goose Island State Park Big Tree Unit Living Shoreline project.
CCA Texas believes it’s imperative that the management of our Texas oyster fishery continues to evolve by prioritizing the ecological and structural value of oysters in the water by safeguarding existing reefs and creating new ones.
This funding will help to support the program’s operations for two years.
While conservationists recently celebrated news that three threatened bay systems would be closed to oyster harvest, concerns remained that other areas would inevitably bear the brunt of intense commercial harvest.
Yesterday, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission (Commission) adopted the proposed changes to the statewide oyster fishery proclamation, which included the closure of oyster reef areas in Ayres, Mesquite and Carlos Bays (three bays), and the temporary closure of restoration areas in Galveston Bay and San Antonio Bay.
