Issues

The offshore recreational fishing community in Texas has not had much in the way of good news in recent years. Constrained by a commercially biased federal management system, questionable recreational harvest data, and under-representation at the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, private boat recreational anglers have seen their federal red snapper season shrink by 98 percent over the past 10 years. The federal fisheries management system is failing recreational anglers on many levels, and the red snapper is the “poster fish” of the quagmire. 

We will continue to fight for the recreational angler to have access to our federally managed fisheries.

Native Eastern Oysters and their subsequent reef systems play critical roles in our coastal ecosystems. They provide habitat for a variety of aquatic species, serve as organic biomass for coastal food webs, create shoreline stabilization, reduce coastal erosion and sedimentation, and improve water quality by serving as filter feeders. After decades of over-harvest and various other stresses (hurricanes, floods and drought), our public oyster reefs need some relief. House Bill 51 passed in 2017, authorizing the state to buy back commercial oyster licenses from willing license holders. There are approximately 580 commercial licenses in Texas and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) estimates that the public oyster reefs can only support ~250 active commercial oyster licenses. Support is needed to help fund the buyback program and relieve the pressure on our public oyster reefs.

The San Jacinto Waste Pits Superfund Site (SJRWP) and The McGinnis Pits in West Galveston Bay are two sites within the Galveston Bay System complex that significantly contribute to the elevated dioxin levels and seafood consumption advisories in Galveston Bay. The Environmental Protection Agency has recommended a complete removal of the SJRWP and is currently in the process of making a final decision. There has been significant push back from the responsible parties and various other organizations for fear of accidental release and cost of removal. 

Removing the dioxin waste in a safe and controlled manner is the only path forward that ensures a healthy Galveston Bay system for both present and future generations. One local expert, Dr. Sam Brody from Texas A&M Galveston, called this site a “loaded gun” and recommended full removal because the site lies in an extremely vulnerable location subject to repeated inundation.