Texas oyster industry grapples with bay closures affecting supply ahead of Fulton’s annual OysterFest. With rising costs and limited harvesting, tensions grow.

FULTON, Texas — Oyster industry is feeling the strain after a few bays were closed to oyster harvesting. 

Texas Parks and Wildlife closed two areas in Galveston Bay to both commercial and recreational oyster harvesting. This comes just a month after part of Matagorda Bay was also shut down because there weren’t enough legal-sized oysters. And with Fulton’s OysterFest just a few weeks away, many in the industry say they’re already feeling the strain. 

Along Highway 35 in Fulton, Alby’s Seafood is busy unloading fresh oysters but managers Primitivo Aeuayo and Regina Oliver said this harvesting season has been slower than usual. 

“We strictly deal with wild caught and so, as long as, you know, if we can make sure that the oysters obviously have to be legal sized and cleaned, and have more bay openings, then that would play, you know, a different factor in everything as far as cost and availability,” Oliver said.

They harvest oysters from Aransas Bay all the way to Galveston Bay but with the recent closures in those areas, they’re having to have a back up plan.

“We’re kind of at the mercy of Parks and Wildlife at the moment, and I know they’re gonna be doing some resampling of some other areas,” Oliver said. “We’ve already got established contacts that we have as a backup.”

Aeuayo said Copano Bay has has been closed for a few years and with the new closures-it’s starting to take a toll on oyster business. 

“Yeah, big difference. Like when I started working here, I think the boat sack was $35. A boat sack, you’re talking about like 300 oysters. You see the difference in this. I’m talking about 12 years. So this is like double it, almost double the money,” Aeuayo said.

In two weeks, Fulton kicks off its 47 Annual OysterFest. Organizers Russel Cole and Cody Morales sid the festival shucks 45,000-60,000 oysters by hand, all sourced from Alby’s Seafood.

“Alby’s has been on our team for. I’m gonna say 25 years and. They have yet to let us down and they’re not gonna let us down this year,” Cole said.

Proceeds benefit the Fulton Fire Department, and Chief Morales said they’re aware of concerns with oyster harvesting. 

“I think every bay system needs time to grow. Um, it’s just, it’s a part of nature and it is, is what it is. Um, they do their, their best for conservation and so do we,” Morales said. “But we’re gonna have wild caught, local, at least Texas oysters here at the oyster fest.”

Oliver said they will continue to monitor the closed bays but hope they will be reopened soon.

“The pricing is basically like a supply and demand on everything else um and since we strictly deal with wild caught, again we work with Parks and Wildlife and our boats are only able to work in the areas that are open,” Oliver said.

Organizers will continue to monitor the restricted oyster harvesting areas but the Fulton OysterFest is set for March 5-8.