Tag Archives: Galveston Bay
Family throws surprise 90th birthday party for island shrimper
The family of island shrimper Jerome “Pops” Kunz surprised him on Aug. 12 with a belated 90th birthday celebration. He was greeted off the elevator by his baby sister and only surviving sibling, Shirley Kunz-Rooks, who traveled from San Antonio. More than 100 guests filled the party room to wine, dine and dance the night away. Music was provided by his dearest friend, musician Skip Swackhamer. Pops has been shrimping in Galveston Bay for more than 80 years. At the age of 10, he began working with his father, eventually buying his own series of boats. Today he still shrimps on his latest vessel, the St. Vincent, along with his deckhand daughter-in-law Nikki Johnson-Kunz, known as “Texas Shrimp Diva.” Photos, >click to read< 13:26
Dog swims for several miles, finds way home after falling overboard of shrimp boat
Shrimp Boat Captain Keith “Kiwi” Soffes says his pup, Monster, never leaves his side. Monster even tags along on his shrimp boat for the daily runs out of San Leon, Texas. Last week, the loyal dog fell overboard while they were out in Galveston Bay. Soffes says he didn’t notice until they were already five miles out. He was beyond shocked and heartbroken. Video, >click to read< 11:31
Fishermen protest Texas Parks and Wildlife for closure of oyster reefs
Texas fishermen from across the gulf coast region staged a public protest in front of the Texas Parks and Wildlife office, 2805 N. Navarro St. Wednesday afternoon. About 150 protesters were speaking out against the closure of Texas oyster reefs by Texas Parks and Wildlife. The reefs have been closed in Galveston Bay, Matagorda Bay, San Antonio Bay, and Aransas Bay. Members of the “Save Texas Fishermen Coalition” say they were protesting because these reef closings have effectively ended most commercial oyster fishing in Texas. Photos, >click to read< 17:40
Plans for Texas City ammonia plant spark environmental, health concerns
Roy Lee Cannon stands on the deck of his shrimp boat docked at Eagle Point Fishing Camp during the golden hour of a summer evening,,, It’s the end of a long work day for Cannon, a shift that began before sunrise. The early-morning hours are harder for the 76-year-old Cannon, who has a titanium plate in his arm from an accident and a pig valve in his chest, but this time of day is undoubtedly the most productive. On a good day, Cannon will haul in 600 pounds of shrimp, though his yield steadily has decreased as the bay and ship channel have become a highway of commerce for the oil and chemical industries. So, when Cannon heard an $800 million anhydrous ammonia plant was in the works for the shores of Texas City, he decided that another potential bay polluter should not proceed without protest. >click to read<18:06
The Texas Oyster Industry Is Now a Shell of Itself
It’s the first day of Texas oyster season, and Galveston Bay is packed with so many boats that 33-year-old Captain Joaquin Padilla decides to post a video of them on Facebook, adding a side-eye emoji as comment. Padilla has been on the water with his little crew since sunup, steering his boat, the Miss Kosovare, in languid circles, dragging his dredge—a chain and metal basket about the size of a basking shark’s mouth—over the oyster reefs below. His is one of about 150 trawlers out this November day, harvesting bivalves from the limited wild reefs on the bottom of Galveston Bay, right in Houston’s backyard. Out on the water, Padilla sticks with a smaller group of about ten boats that all belong to his buddies and family—his father, uncle, brother-in-law, and cousins all make a living oystering, too. >click to read<20:31
Hurricane Harvey decimates Galveston Bay’s oyster population
The storm was the latest setback to a multimillion-dollar commercial fishing and seafood-processing industry that appeared poised to finally rebound from floods, including two devastating tropical weather systems, and an extended drought in less than a decade. Shrimpers, crabbers and other fishermen who work the bay also will feel an impact. But it’s most lethal in the case of the oysters, as Harvey-spawned rains and rainwater runoff drove down the bay’s salinity to fatal levels. of 12 to 30 parts per thousand are ideal for a healthy oyster harvest in Galveston Bay, which researchers say is the nation’s most bountiful. Yet preliminary tests performed by commercial fisheries on Tuesday revealed salinity levels at 0 to 5 parts per thousand – and excessive water continues to drain into the bay. click here to read the story 15:14
2 fishermen lost at sea saved by cooler
Two fishermen survived two days at sea thanks to their trusty cooler. Michael Watkins and Raymond Jacik went missing in Galveston Bay on Monday morning after embarking on what was supposed to be a five-hour fishing trip, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The men said their 20-foot fishing boat started taking on water and a rogue wave capsized the vessel before they could even put on life jackets. “I had no time to grab anything. Nothing. No keys, no wallet, no phone,” . Read the rest here 17:44
Oyster wholesaler’s attempt to privatize over 23,000 acres of Galveston Bay could change who owns the bottom of Texas bays
At issue is a lease between Chambers-Liberty Counties Navigation District and , based in Smith Point, which is commonly referred to as STORM. While the two parties in the lease say the contract authorizes the wholesaler alone to harvest oysters, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and General Land Office disagree. Read the rest here 07:20
