Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
02/11/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 02/11/2026 17:02
TPWD Closing Oyster Harvest Area in Galveston Bay
TPWD Closing Oyster Harvest Area in Galveston Bay
Feb. 11, 2026
Media Contact: TPWD News, Business Hours, 512-389-8030
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AUSTIN - The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is closing TX-5 in Galveston Bay to commercial and recreational oyster harvest beginning 12:01 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 14. This closure is based on samples recently collected by TPWD showing a low abundance of legal-sized oysters.
TPWD has worked with the oyster industry to develop criteria for closing areas to harvest. The criteria include parameters for oysters when they fall below certain thresholds based on the abundance of oysters three inches or greater.
TPWD will continue to monitor all areas currently closed to harvest and will reopen them when they meet criteria thresholds.
A map showing oyster harvesting areas, as well as the most up-to-date status information on each area, can be found on the Texas Department of State Health Services website.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department published this content on February 11, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on February 11, 2026 at 23:02 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]