Texas has a new industry. Oyster farming will be legal in Texas as of September 1 now that Gov. Greg Abbott has signed House Bill 1300 into law. The bill by Coastal Bend Rep. Todd Hunter (R-Corpus Christi), includes Texas in a growing industry that state law historically prohibited. Texas was the only coastal state in the United States that did not allow oyster farming.
Hunter has scheduled a summit on the subject from 8 AM to 3 PM Wednesday, July 10, for those interested in the business of oyster farming. The Texas Oyster Aquaculture Summit, which will be held in the Anchor Ballroom at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, 6300 Ocean Drive, is free and open to the public, although registration is required.
Currently, commercial oyster aquaculture rakes in $173 million a year nationwide, according to NOAA figures. Add in the harvest of wild oysters, and the figure jumps to $217 million a year.
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