The loss of almost four million fish along the Texas coast has a major impact on recreational fishermen

The fish are used to relatively warm temperatures. However, experts say the sudden drop in temperature during the Uri winter storm caused major fish kills.

“The numbers, the TPWD [Texas Parks & Wildlife] It is estimated that there are nearly four million fish on the entire Texas coast, ”said Bob Stokes, president of the Galveston Bay Foundationwhich is committed to the preservation of fish habitats in the region.

In shallower waters, temperatures change very quickly, which is usually the case on the coast.

“The faster the temperature drops, the less physiologically many of these fish species can handle it,” said Kirk Winemiller, professor of ecology and conservation biology at Texas A&M University.

Galveston Bay was able to slip past its waters without much damage and only lost about 100 wild fish.

The reason for this is that frankly our waters only have one larger bay system. It’s a larger field system and it takes longer for the water to cool or warm, ”Stokes said.

According to Texas Parks & Wildlife, the Texas coast has become a top tourist fishing destination. The fish deaths are now discouraging these recreational activities.

The winter storm killed 61 species. The largest lost group was the spotted sea trout, followed by the black drum.

“The problem may be that the fishing isn’t as good as it was for a year or two, and that can be enough to discourage quite a number of recreational fishermen,” said Winemiller.

The last time the Texan coast saw such extreme fish deaths was in the 1980s when nearly 32 million fish were killed.

“You know that fish stocks recovered fairly quickly in the 1980s after a series of winter fish deaths,” added Winemiller.

The last recovery took about two to three years. Texas Parks & Wildlife recommends that fishermen practice catching and releasing as much as possible while fish stocks attempt to recover.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR