Texas Parks & Wildlife News, April 19, 1991 Page: 4
14 p. : ill.View a full description of this periodical.
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4
One of the more serious concerns of many people along the coast is by-catch, which is an
ever growing topic of discussion among shrimpers.
"Shrimpers are just as concerned with their by-catch as are recreational anglers, said Jan
Harper, chairman of the Texas Shrimp Advisory Committee. 'Anything besides shrimp caught in the nets
results in wasted time and effort for the crews.
Harper said research continues on finfish excluder devices that would allow finfish to escape,
although early models have not been effective. Shrimpers intend to meet federal guidelines calling for a
50 percent by-catch reduction by 1994.
Insufficient freshwater inflow is the number one issue affecting coastal fishing today,
according to Ray Poage, executive director of the Gulf Coast Conservation Association.
Poage said inland reservoirs scheduled for completion before the turn of the century could
drastically alter the natural balance in fragile nursery grounds along the coast. If that happens, all the
hatchery and conservation efforts of the past 20 years will go for naught.
Dr, Bill Fox, assistant administrator for fisheries at NMFS and the keynote speaker, told the
crowd during lunch that U.S. fishing is in a deplorable condition. There are 150 species of fish that are
over fished and depleted. If the fisheries were managed better, it could increase commercial fishing by
$1.8 billion a year and much more in recreational fishing, an estimated $230 million along the Texas coast.
Fox's management philosophy could help. "The responsibility of the government is to the
long-term. We must be conservative in the face of uncertainty. We must have a good science base to
improve our returns. Good management requires a consensus among people participating in the fishery.
Management must be effective and detectible. And, we need to make better use of good state
management.
Fox also has some ideas on how to keep from losing more habitat, which he says, is the
greatest threat to fisheries in the U.S. Five approaches he believes we should use are habitat protection,
habitat restoration, research and development, education and cooperative programs with other agencies
and groups.
LW 4/19/91
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Texas. Parks and Wildlife Department. Texas Parks & Wildlife News, April 19, 1991, periodical, April 19, 1991; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1032338/m1/4/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.