The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has announced the reopening of the commercial Gulf shrimp season, following its annual assessment of shrimp populations and growth in Texas coastal waters.

According to TPWD, the reopening date is determined using biological sampling conducted each June to maximize benefits for both the shrimp resource and the commercial fishing industry while ensuring sustainable harvests.

The agency's Coastal Fisheries Division collects data through routine bag seine, bay trawl and Gulf trawl surveys. Bag seine sampling targets juvenile shrimp along shorelines, bay trawls collect subadult shrimp in open bays, and Gulf trawls sample adult shrimp within 15 nautical miles of Texas' five major Gulf passes before the shrimp migrate into deeper offshore waters.

TPWD uses the June sampling data to evaluate shrimp abundance, growth rates and migration timing. Gulf trawl surveys help indicate the number of subadult and adult shrimp leaving the bays, while bag seine surveys identify younger shrimp that remain in estuaries and are expected to migrate later in the season.

According to the department, growth estimates from the bay and Gulf trawl surveys are used to predict when shrimp will reach the target harvest size of 4 inches (112 millimeters) and when peak abundance is expected offshore.

TPWD said these biological indicators, combined with other management measures and the timing of maximum outgoing tides, help determine the annual season opening while protecting Texas' shrimp resource.

Federal waters, extending from 9 to 200 nautical miles offshore, will reopen simultaneously with state waters. According to TPWD, the National Marine Fisheries Service has adopted regulations compatible with Texas' seasonal opening.