Texas Sea Grant Updates

T E X A S S H R I M P A S S O C I AT I O N , FA L L M E E T I N G
L A U R A P I C A R I E L LO
NOVEMBER 13, 2019
BROWNSVILLE, TX
H T T P : / / T E X A S S E A G R A N T. O R G /
Marine Resource Education Program (MREP)
Southeast Program

• Designed for fishermen to help engage industry in

management process
• Two 3-day Workshops
• Fisheries Science
• Fisheries Management
• Selected participants are fully sponsored (travel,
room and board)
• One of the criteria used to make selections for
Council Advisory Panel representatives https://www.gmri.org/our-work/fisheries-convening/mrep-
• Accepting applications for upcoming workshops southeast
Texas Shrimp Sustainability Fact Sheet
What does “sustainability” mean
Updated research results for bycatch with current ratios and
requirements
Updated regulations that promote sustainability
-

Can be used to counteract negative media with old research

numbers
Can be used to educate consumers
Can be used by shrimp buyers (restaurants, retails stores)
Texas Restaurant Partnership Program
Promoting restaurant that serve local seafood
Partnership with Audubon Nature Institute’s Aquarium in
New Orleans and Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi
Website and mobile app listing all restaurant partners that
serve Gulf seafood
Staff training to educate wait staff on taking to consumers
about local seafood

LOOKING FOR PARTNERS

Bycatch Allowances- TPWD letter
 NOAA CREW SURVEYS
NOAA has contracted a company to conduct crew surveys for the federally
permitted fisheries in Gulf and South Atlantic
◦ This includes the shrimp fishery
This is being done so that NOAA has a better understanding of the
social/economic impacts of fisheries and can better calculate impacts/losses for
things like fishery disasters
This year, some pilot surveys were done in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese to
test out the questions and confirm that translations were correct.
Next year (2020) they will be implementing the full survey and will have
interviewers coming to ports to survey crews.
 PRE-SEASON CREW MEETING(S)
Texas Sea Grant would like to set up some captain and crew
meetings prior to the start of the 2020 shrimp season to go
over some industry updates
◦Quality and Handling of shrimp
◦Bycatch regulations- what they can and can’t keep

What else do you think would be beneficial to go over with

crews?
Contact Information
Laura Picariello
Marine Fisheries Specialist,
Texas Sea Grant

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

Natural Resources Building
Suite 2800

lpicariello@tamu.edu
TEXASSEAGRANT.ORG
361-825-3460 Follow us on Social Media