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TPWD to seek public comment on mariculture fee cuts and allowing Gulf‑sourced triploid seed for oyster farms
Summary
TPWD staff proposed reducing cultivated oyster mariculture permit annual fees and indicated the department will publish proposed rule changes and seek public comment; commissioners also directed staff to pursue broader coordination on reef restoration, buybacks, and crop insurance.
The commission authorized staff to publish proposed amendments that would lower annual fees for cultivated oyster (mariculture) permits and discussed a separate request from industry to allow triploid seed derived from Gulf broodstock to be used in Texas farms.
Dr. Lindsay Glass Campbell, Coastal Fisheries Division, presented proposed fee reductions for grow‑out and nursery/hatchery permits. Under the proposal, public‑water grow‑out site fees would fall from $450 per acre per year to $150 per acre per year; the private‑land equivalent would be reduced from $170 per acre to $57 per acre per year. Staff said nursery/hatchery permits tend to be very small and proposed either a $150 minimum annual fee or a combined public/private fee consistent with grow‑out rates, whichever is greater, to help cover inspection costs.
Dr. Glass Campbell said the department has 13 permitted grow‑out sites totaling about 101 acres, 38 conditionally approved grow‑out sites totaling about 121 acres, and seven permitted nursery/hatchery sites totaling about 51 acres. Staff said the fee reductions follow stakeholder input intended to lower barriers for small businesses, a review of other states’ fee structures, and internal cost data.
Commissioners and staff also discussed a separate industry request — from the Texas Oyster Mariculture Association — to allow oyster farmers to source triploid seed produced from Gulf lineage broodstock rather than requiring specifically Texas‑parentage broodstock. Staff said many Gulf states already permit Gulf‑sourced triploid seed; allowing access would expand supply options for Texas farmers and reduce reliance on a smaller number of hatcheries outside Texas that currently prioritize larger Gulf markets. Dr. Glass Campbell described biological and commercial considerations for triploids, including that triploid oysters (mostly sterile) allocate energy to growth rather than reproduction and are often favored for faster, year‑round growth and harvest quality.
Chairman Hildebrand and commissioners asked staff to publish the fee revisions in the Texas Register for public comment and to return for adoption in May. Commissioners additionally requested a broader briefing on oyster industry status in May and asked TPWD to coordinate with the General Land Office (GLO), Texas Department of Agriculture, USDA and other agencies on restoration Certificates of Location (COLs), crop‑insurance options, and a commercial license buyback effort aimed at reef conservation. Chairman Hildebrand asked staff to proceed with the buyback work and to pursue memoranda of understanding with partner agencies to streamline permitting and restoration efforts.
