What\/When:<\/p>\n
NOAA Fisheries announces federal waters from 9 to 200 nautical miles off Texas will close to shrimp trawling 30 minutes after official sunset, local time, on May 15, 2026, corresponding to the time Texas closes its state waters to shrimp trawling.<\/p>\n
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Federal waters off Texas are west of the line (from A to B) shown in the map below.\u00a0 Fishermen should not use any other division between Texas and Louisiana federal waters, including lines on NOAA Chart 1116A, which is to be used for mineral rights and not for navigation.<\/p>\n
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\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Why This Closure Is Happening:<\/p>\n
The shrimp fishery is closed annually off Texas to allow brown shrimp to reach a larger and more valuable size prior to harvest, and to prevent waste of brown shrimp that might otherwise be discarded due to their small size.<\/p>\n
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Each year, the Texas closure ranges from 45 to 60 days.\u00a0 The closing date is based on catch rates of brown shrimp collected with seine gear by the Coastal Fisheries Division of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, mean length of shrimp collected in April, percent of samples containing shrimp, and periods of maximum nocturnal ebb tidal flow.<\/p>\n
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Texas will re-open state waters to shrimp trawling based on sampling projections of when brown shrimp will reach a mean size of 112 mm, and when maximum duration ebb tides will occur.\u00a0 NOAA Fisheries will re-open federal waters off Texas when Texas re-opens its state waters.\u00a0Historically, the re-opening has been on or about July 15.\u00a0 If there is a need to adjust the July 15 date for the re-opening, notification of the revised date will be published in the Federal Register and announced in a subsequent fishery bulletin.<\/p>\n
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Sign Up For Text Message Alerts – Find Out About Immediate Openings and Closures<\/p>\n
NOAA’s Text Message Alert Program allows you to receive important fishery-related alerts via text message (SMS).\u00a0 Standard message & data rates may apply.\u00a0 You may opt out at any time.<\/p>\n
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Text alerts you may receive include:<\/p>\n
Immediate fishery openings and closuresAny significant changes to fishing regulations that happen quickly<\/p>\n
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Sign up for one or more of the following groups:<\/p>\n
Gulf of America Recreational Fisheries Related AlertsText GULFRECFISH to 888777Gulf of America Commercial Fisheries Related AlertsText GULFCOMMFISH to 888777South Atlantic Recreational Fisheries Related AlertsText SATLRECFISH to 888777South Atlantic Commercial Fisheries Related AlertsText SATLCOMMFISH to 888777Caribbean Fisheries-Related Alerts<\/p>\n
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