By Shane Bonnot, CCA Texas Advocacy Director
Texas is one of the few remaining states with a significant public reef oyster fishery. The harvest season spans from November to April, and any of the 546 state-issued licenses can be used to dredge oysters from designated shellfish harvest areas which are managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and the Texas Department of State Health Services. While annual landings fluctuate, public reef harvest typically accounts for 78% of the total landings reported to TPWD, with the remaining 22% coming from private lease areas.
Each year, before the season begins and throughout its six-month duration, TPWD conducts targeted oyster sampling in harvest areas on historically fished reefs. By assessing the abundance of harvestable oysters, TPWD determines whether an area is suitable for public reef harvest. In recent years, most harvest areas have been closed to allow the oyster population to recover which has forced oyster boats to concentrate within fewer locations, intensifying the impacts of dredging. A drive along Highway 35 across the Copano/Aransas Bay or Lavaca Bay Causeways provides a clear view of this situation in real-time.
Oysters are invaluable to Texas’ coastal ecosystems, providing essential ecological services that benefit marine life and human communities. As a keystone species, oysters (particularly the Eastern Oyster – Crassostrea virginica), help form intricate reef systems that support biodiversity, stabilize shorelines, and enhance water quality. However, the oyster fishery faces significant challenges due to environmental changes and commercial harvest via dredging reefs. To ensure a sustainable future, we must recognize the full ecological value of oysters and implement effective conservation strategies.
The Ecological Importance of Oysters
Unharvested Oyster Reef, demonstrating structural complexity and species diversity. Photo Credit: Harte Research Institute
Oyster reefs are much more than a source of seafood; they are a critical component of Texas’ coastal ecosystems. These reefs act as natural barriers, slowing water surges and helping to prevent shoreline erosion. They also provide structured habitats for a wide variety of marine species. More than 300 species rely on oyster reefs for shelter, food, and habitat, including commercially and recreationally valuable fish like blue crabs, sheepshead, red drum, and spotted seatrout.
Oysters are natural filter feeders, capable of filtering over 50 gallons of water per day. Through their removal of nutrients, such as phytoplankton and chlorophyll, they help improve water quality and reduce turbidity. This filtration process also aids in sequestering carbon, contributing to coastal resilience in the face of climate change. Additionally, oysters enhance benthic (bottom-dwelling) ecosystems by creating complex habitats that support higher biomass than other coastal environments, such as seagrass beds or salt marshes.
The economic value of oyster reefs extends far beyond the harvested product, especially when you place a value on the ecological services they provide in the water. Restored reefs can generate significant ecosystem services, including fish production, habitat provision, and shoreline stabilization, with annual ecosystem service values ranging from $2,000 to $40,000 per acre, depending on the health of the reef. Additional benefits of oyster reefs for recreational angling are estimated at $23,000 per acre. In contrast, the commercial value of oysters harvested from public oyster reefs is estimated at $800 per acre.
Commercial Oyster Fisherman harvesting near exposed reefs. Photo Credit: Hank Arnold
Beldon Reef circa 1926 by Paul Galtsoff.
Challenges Facing the Oyster Fishery
Despite their resilience, oysters face increasing pressure from human activity and environmental changes. Historically, the most significant threat to their survival is the alteration of freshwater inflows to coastal ecosystems. Over the past century, the flow of freshwater from major rivers has been increasingly impounded and diverted for agricultural, industrial, and municipal uses, with some bays now experiencing near-total lack of freshwater inflows. This reduction in freshwater flow negatively impacts estuaries, depriving oysters of the vital conditions they need to thrive.
The accelerating pace of environmental change, driven by both climate change and human intervention/development, has also taken a toll on the oyster population. Rising sea temperatures, droughts, hurricanes, and flooding events, along with an overcapitalized Texas fishery, have led to the destruction of public oyster reefs. In some cases, unscrupulous fishing practices, such as the illegal harvest of undersized oysters and/or harvesting on closed reefs, exacerbate the problem.
As a result, many oyster reefs in Texas have reached a point of ecological degradation that may be beyond restoration. While some reefs may not recover to their former status, there is still hope for protecting and rebuilding oyster reefs and enhancing the oyster fishery through proactive, sustainable conservation and restoration efforts.
Solutions for a Sustainable Oyster Fishery
Restoring and preserving Texas’ oyster reefs requires a multi-faceted approach that prioritizes ecological values alongside sustainable oyster production and harvesting practices. Key solutions include:
1. Enhancing Conservation Efforts:
License Buyback Programs: Expanding participation in oyster license buyback programs will reduce fishing pressure on overexploited reefs and encourage responsible harvesting. Texas will likely need to reduce the number of licenses in the fishery from 546 licenses to somewhere between 175-200 licenses.
Bay-Bottom Lease Expansion: Expanding the number of state-managed bay-bottom leases provides commercial oystermen with the opportunity to invest in creating their own reefs, maintaining them through thin-layer cultch placements, and harvesting them sustainably. Growing this program will reduce dependence on public reefs, helping to protect sensitive habitats from the impacts of the public fishery. Currently, around 22% of annual landings in Texas come from 43 areas (approximately 2,300 acres) in Galveston Bay that are under location certificates (leases), and efforts are underway to further expand this program.
Non-Harvestable Conservation Leases: Along with the expansion of the commercial oyster lease program, conservation groups and research institutes will be able to lease bay bottom for the specific intent of creating or restoring oyster reefs which will be permanently closed to commercial harvest. Creating conservation leases for nonharvestable oyster areas can safeguard critical spawning grounds and help replenish depleted reefs.
2. Promoting Oyster Mariculture:
Cultivating oysters through mariculture (oyster farming) offers a sustainable alternative to wild harvesting, reducing pressure on natural reefs and providing a controlled environment for oyster production. Growing farmed oysters in the water column creates a cleaner, better-tasting and more desirable product for the half-shell market. In Texas, there are currently 12 farms, 2 nurseries and 2 hatcheries fully permitted, and another 31 farms with conditional permits. Click here for a link to find restaurants and oyster farmers in Texas.
3. Establishing Oyster Sanctuaries:
Designating oyster broodstock sanctuaries in bay systems will help protect broodstock, ensuring the continued production of larvae that can repopulate nearby reefs. Sanctuary reefs serve as critical spawning reserves, bolstering oyster populations in the surrounding public waters.
4. Strategic Restoration Plans:
Large-scale restoration efforts should focus on rebuilding oyster reefs that support ecological functions, coastal resiliency and greatest value to local economies. Scientific research can guide the development of these restoration projects, ensuring they are designed to achieve measurable improvements in ecosystem health and productivity. Strategic restoration plans work hand in hand with lease expansions.
5. Continued Enforcement and Adaptive Management:
Continued enforcement against illegal harvest and targeted sting operations are necessary to ensure that active participants in the oyster fishery are following existing regulations and that safeguards for resource protection are effective. There are numerous management tools, such as sack limit changes, gear restrictions, and number of fishing days, that are available for fishery managers to consider in the near term to further improve the sustainability of the public reef oyster fishery; after the implementation of a successful buyback program, fishery managers can adapt to a new landscape and consider strategies to spatially or seasonally spread out the remaining fishing pressure.
Conclusion
Oysters are indispensable to the ecological health of Texas’ coastal ecosystems. Their reefs provide habitat for numerous marine species, stabilize shorelines, and improve water quality, among other essential functions. However, the challenges they face—ranging from habitat loss to fishing pressure—threaten their future. By embracing conservation initiatives such as license buyback, supporting sustainable oyster farming, and investing in restoration efforts, we can work to ensure that oysters continue to thrive in Texas waters, benefiting both nature and the economy for generations to come.
Oysters from Blackjack Point Oyster Farm on the sorting table and the oyster farm in the background. Photo Credit: AJ Minns, owner of BlackJack Point Oyster Company
Mesquite Bay Complex oyster harvest prior to permanent closure. Photo Credit John Blaha
Oyster Management – Recent History
While future action is needed for the long-term sustainability of Texas public oyster reefs, it is important to recognize the steps that have been taken thus far. Let’s look back at the last few years.
2017
Legislative Action – House Bill 51:
• Established the commercial oyster license buyback program
• Required shellfish certificate holders (oyster dealers) to distribute oyster shell or approved cultch material equal to 30% of the oysters purchased in
waters designated by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) or pay TPWD for shell acquisition and deposition at the same rate.
• Increased penalties for undersized oysters, with repeat or severe violations resulting in a Class B misdemeanor and a 30-day license suspension.
• Seafood dealers held accountable for repeat violations related to undersized oysters.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission Action:
• Daily sack limit reduced to 30 sacks.
• Commercial oyster harvest closed on Saturdays.
• Tolerance for undersized oysters reduced from 15% to 5%.
• Permanently closed harvest in Christmas Bay, Carancahua Bay, Powderhorn Lake, Hynes Bay, St. Charles Bay, and South Bay
• Creation of a 300-foot shoreline buffer along the entire coastline, prohibiting harvest from the water’s edge.
2019
Legislative Action – House Bill 2321: Enhanced penalties for oystering in closed areas.
Legislative Action – House Bill 1300: Creation of the Texas Cultivated Oyster Mariculture Program.
2022
Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission Action: Permanently closed oyster harvest in Ayres, Mesquite and Carlos Bays.
2023– 2024
• Creation of a Governor-appointed Commercial Oyster Mariculture Advisory Board.
• Creation of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Oyster Advisory Committee.
