For More Information:
Brian Sybert, 512/ 477-1729
Ken Kramer, 512/ 476-6962

PRESS RELEASE

 
For Immediate Release (Wednesday May 31, 2000):

Parks & Wildlife Commission Moves Forward with Proposed Shrimp Regulations

Sierra Club Commends Commission for Its Action

(Austin)- The Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission voted today to approve a thirty day public comment period for the shrimp regulations proposed by the Parks & Wildlife Department staff. The public comment period will include a series of public hearings along the Texas coast to gather citizen input on the proposed changes in shrimp regulations.

The proposed changes are the result of a year and half review of the current shrimp regulations by Parks & Wildlife staff. That review included an evaluation of the impact that commercial shrimping is having on the health of the overall shrimp fishery, endangered sea turtles, and other marine species that are unintentionally killed as bycatch in shrimp trawls.

"The Parks & Wildlife Commission made the right choice by voting to move forward with the proposed shrimp regulations. Texas citizens will now have the opportunity to voice their concerns about the management of public coastal resources such as sea turtles and the shrimp fishery," said Brian Sybert, Natural Resources Director for the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club.

If finally approved by the Parks & Wildlife Commission later this summer the proposed shrimp regulations would establish a year round closure to shrimping along the southern portion of the Texas coast. The closure would be from Fish Pass near Corpus Christi to the Texas-Mexico border out to 5 nautical miles into the Gulf. "A closure along the southern portion of the Texas coast would aid in the recovery of critically endangered sea turtles, benefit the shrimp industry by allowing shrimp to reproduce and grow larger in size, and protect sensitive bottom habitats in the nearshore area," said Sybert.

To reduce the intensity of the shrimping effort along the northern portion of the Texas coast Parks & Wildlife is proposing gear and time restrictions for the area from Fish Pass to the Texas-Louisiana border. "In our opinion the proposed gear and time restrictions for the northern portion of the coast will not be sufficient to reduce the high shrimping effort over the long-term. Even with the gear and time restrictions large numbers of shrimping vessels operating in the Gulf outside state waters will still have access to the nearshore area along the northern portion of the coast, thus resulting in an increase in shrimping effort," said Ken Kramer, Sierra Club state director.

"To effectively reduce the high shrimping effort along the northern portion of the coast the Sierra Club recommends that Parks & Wildlife implement a closure similar to the one the agency is proposing for the southern portion of the coast. A year round closure is the only way to effectively reduce the shrimping effort over the long-term," added Kramer

"Although the Sierra Club is calling for an additional closure along the northern portion of the coast we greatly appreciate the effort being made by Parks & Wildlife to strengthen shrimp regulations to protect coastal resources," concluded Sybert.