NOAA technical memorandum NMFS-SEFC ; 135

"The regulation to close the FCZ waters off the coast of Texas to shrimp fishing from May 27 to July 15, 1983, benefitted the Gulf brown shrimp fishery by increasing the yield by about 3% (1.6 million pounds), based on May-August data. No increase in ex-vessel value for 1983 was shown, although the estimate at this time is preliminary and subject to change. In 1981 and 1982 the FCZ closure provided benefits of 3.6 million pounds (1981) and 1.5 million pounds (1982), which represented increases to the Gulf fishery of 5% and 3% respectively. Benefits in dollars were $8.3 million (1981) and $1.4 million (1982), which represented increases of 7% and 1%. The best estimate is that overall the Texas FCZ closure provided a small but positive benefit in both yield and ex-vessel value to the fishery. The combined closure of the territorial sea and FCZ waters off Texas provided considerably larger benefits than closure of the FCZ alone. These benefits represented a major economic contribution to the industry. The benefi t of the combined closure in 1981 was 8.9 million pounds or $54.5 million. The 1982 benefit was 4.2 million pounds or $41.3 million. Benefits of the combined closure in 1983 have not yet been calculated. The closure of the waters offshore of Texas (either FCZ or combined territorial sea and FCZ) protects juvenile shrimp until they grow to a larger size, thereby significantly increasing the value of the catch. This protection and increase in value is achieved both in years of good and poor recruitment. However, the magnitude of the benefit in years of good recruitment is considerally larger than in poor years. The FMP goal of increasing the ex-vessel value by a temporary closure of the Texas offshore waters appears to have been achieved. Without this prohibition of trawling offshore of Texas, large quantities of small shrimp would have been caught, resulting in lower overall yield"--Summary.

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)