Freshwater Inflows, License Changes Improve Texas Crab Catch

GALVESTON, Texas — Changes to the commercial license program and more freshwater inflows have led to some of the best catches of blue crabs in Texas since crab numbers started declining in Galveston Bay in the late 1980s.

Rain and flooding have increased freshwater inflows, which benefit the crab population because the animals thrive in brackish water, according to Glen Sutton, a crab biologist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Sutton said the state's implementation of a crab license buyback program in the early 2000s has reduced the number of permitted anglers looking for crabs in the bay. Now there are 200 licenses in the state, compared to 400 several years ago.