The Nation : Texas Bans Oyster Harvest

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission ordered a ban on oyster harvesting this year because of overfishing during last year’s abbreviated season. The action angered oystermen who complained that thousands of fishermen will be put out of business and oyster prices will be driven up nationwide. But Gary Matlock, the commission’s fisheries director, told the panel: “It’s my opinion that if you do not close it, what you are headed toward is having a long time of very little or no harvest because the reefs will be overfished.” The oyster season, which fuels a $5-million-a-year industry, usually runs November through April.