AUSTIN – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is closing oyster harvesting area TX-7 in Galveston Bay and TX-20 in Matagorda Bay to commercial and recreational oyster harvest. TX-7 will close beginning 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, April 14, and TX-20 will close 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, April 15. These closures are 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.