Closure dates for the 1986 Texas Gulf shrimping season

Brown shrimp (Penaeus aztecus) were collected with bag seines along shorelines and with trawls in deeper (greater than or equal to 1 meter) Texas bay and Gulf of Mexico waters to determine closing and opening dates of the 1986 shrimping season in the Texas Territorial Sea (TTS). The purpose of the closed season was to protect small brown shrimp from fishing pressure until they reached a larger, more valuable size (greater than or equal to 112 millimeters total length) and to minimize waste caused by discarding smaller shrimp during gulf harvest. Based on April bag seine data, the closed season was set to begin 30 minutes after sunset on 10 May. Bay trawl samples collected in June indicated substantial numbers of brown shrimp would be greater than or equal to 112 millimeters by 2 July. Therefore, the recommended opening date was 30 minutes after sunset 2 July, which complied with the 45-60 day closure mandated by the Shrimp Conservation Act of 1959.