BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) — A report is forecasting a below-average shrimp season in Texas, which could lead to higher prices.
The National Marine Fisheries Service forecasts a 53.2 million-pound catch for the Texas and western Louisiana portion of the Gulf of Mexico for this season, about 2.8 million short of the historical 1960-2012 average.
The Brownsville Herald says shrimping season opens Tuesday, after a yearly two month ban imposed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for conservation purposes to ensure more and larger shrimp are caught. Generally shrimpers favor higher prices but past a certain point, there is less demand for expensive shrimp.
The report says winter record low temperatures and lack of rainfall in Texas and Louisiana are partly to blame as optimal shrimp growth occurs in waters above 68 F.
