AUSTIN – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) will open TX-29 and TX-30 in Aransas Bay to commercial and recreational oyster harvest beginning 12:01 a.m. Monday, Feb. 12.

Based on samples recently collected by TPWD, TX-29 and TX-30 meet criteria for reopening. These criteria include parameters for oysters reaching certain thresholds based on the abundance of legal-sized oysters (3 inches or greater).

TPWD will continue to monitor all areas currently closed to harvest and will reopen them when they meet criteria thresholds. As of Feb. 12, these areas are open to public oyster harvest:

Aransas Bay:

TX-29

TX-30

Matagorda Bay:

TX-11

TX-18

Corpus Christi Bay:

TX-33

Lower Laguna Madre

TX-34

A map showing oyster harvesting areas as well as the most up-to-date status information on each TX area can be found on the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) website.