By DINA ARÉVALO
Port Isabel-South Padre Press
editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com
The 2016 commercial shrimp season is scheduled to begin this Friday, July 15, according to a statement released by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) this week.
The commercial shrimp season closes for approximately two months every year in order to allow populations of brown shrimp to grow to a more profitable size, according to TPWD. This year, the closure began on May 15.
“The purpose of the closed Gulf season is to protect brown shrimp during their major period of emigration from the bays to the Gulf of Mexico until they reach a larger, more valuable size before harvest and to prevent waste caused by the discarding of smaller individuals,” the statement reads.
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