NATURAL HISTORY OF REDFISH, ETC., OF TEXAS 177 



The closing of both Oso and Nueces Bays, as well as the southern part of Laguna 

 Madre, to seine fishermen has destroyed the income of the fishing industry, as well as 

 of the entire State of Texas, from some of the best drum-fishing waters along the coast 

 of Texas. While an overflow of drum from these waters into open territory may result 

 in some benefit, it has been shown that the fish prefer to dwell most of the time within 

 such closed areas. Few species of food fish other than drum and croakers frequent 

 Oso or Nueces Bay, and the former fishery in these bays was almost entirely for the 

 black drum. Allowing a suitable area around the entrances to these two bays to 

 permit the fish ingress or egress it would appear desirable to allow a return of seine 

 fishing within the bays. With the larger adult drum protected by reason of a legal 

 size limit, there seems httle basis for expecting serious depletion of the drum from the 

 opening of these waters. 



Laguna Madre long has been a battle ground for commercial fishing interests 

 and conservation forces, for no apparent reason save that this long, narrow lagoon 

 constitutes a favorite feeding ground for several species of marine food fishes, par- 

 ticularly in summer. The ease with which fish generally may be captured with 

 seines in the shallow waters of the lagoon has alarmed many sport fishermen, who 

 fear the gradual extinction of their favorite game fish. With the sportsmen in the great 

 majority and the general public knowing little of the problems confronting the fishing 

 industry, pressure in legislative circles has resulted in the closure of much of Laguna 

 Madre to any form of net fishing. 



The writer, considering the intelligent conservation and utilization of the fish of 

 commercial importance along the coast, sees no legitimate reason for continuing the 

 closure of the southern part of Laguna Madre, particularly in and around the waters 

 of BafiBn and Alazan Bays. As mentioned previously, during exceedingly hot and 

 dry summers, when its waters become excessively saline, Laguna Madre becomes 

 the death place of thousands of food fish. To remedy this condition, it has been sug- 

 gested by many that an artificial channel or pass be cut through Padre Island from 

 the Gulf of Mexico to Laguna Madre in the vicinity of Baffin Bay, and thus allow 

 (at least theoretically) fresh Gulf water to mingle with the excessively salt water 

 within the lagoon. While the construction of such a pass might be possible from an 

 engineering standpoint, there is no evidence that the expense would be warranted 

 under present conditions. In fact, such a pass might bring about a marked biological 

 change in environmental conditions, which would reduce naturally the present supply 

 of some species within the lagoon, particularly the black drum. It would appear to 

 be more practical, from an economic standpoint (perhaps from a biological one as 

 well), to allow unrestricted seine fishing within all of Laguna Madre (except around 

 Corpus Christi Pass) in an attempt to reduce the amount of loss suffered during a 

 period of natural mortality, than to attempt a costly and perhaps futile experiment 

 by making an artificial pass. Removal of restrictions in Laguna Madre would result 

 in the utilization of many of the fish that now perish during the summer months, and 

 it would also result in partly satisfying those who now advocate an artificial pass in 

 the belief that fishery conditions might be benefited. 



