A review of the offshore shrimp fishery and the 1981 Texas closure

Prohibition of shrimp fishing within 200 miles of the Texas coast on 22 May 1981 resulted in large brown shrimp catches off Texas when the season reopened on 15 July. Catch per unit effort off Texas in late July and August 1981 ranged from 1,349 to 2,250 per fishing day, compared with only 820 to 858 pounds per fishing for the Louisiana offshore brown shrimp fishery. The July-August 1981 relative abundance (CPUE) off Texas was greater than during similar time periods for any other year. Shrimp caught and landed off Louisiana were also predominantly smaller than those caught and landed off Texas. Recruitment from Texas bays to the offshore fishery appeared average to good, but was sufficient to account for the outstanding abundance levels found offshore. The closure of Texas waters to fishing appears to have been a major reason for the large catches and high catch rates in July and August off Texas in 1981.