TEXAS BAY AND BAIT BUYBACK PROGRAM

Robin RiechersWade Griffin

Richard Woodward

History of Managment

• Until 1985 Texas Legislature • Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission• 1989 adopted Texas Shrimp Fishery

Management Plan– Texas Shrimp Advisory Committee (shift to co-

management)– Shrimp License Management Program for the

inshore shrimp fishery

Concerned About Effort Increase

Figure 2. Days fished in the bays in Texas and FL to LA.

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

TX

FL to LA

Days Fished (1000) Bays

Buyback Years

Purpose of Buyback Program

• Remove licenses and fishing effort• Voluntary • Bay and bait shrimp fishery• Through time• Without excessive social and economic

disruptions within coastal communities

How the Buyback Worked

• Reverse bid process • TPWD calculates value of license

– how long the license has been in the fishery – length of the vessel

• Shrimper submits a sale offer (bid)• Each offer compared with the calculated value

– Accepted if: bid < calculated value– Bids with the greatest difference from calculated value

selected first

How the Buyback Worked (con’t)

• Vessel upgrade– One time increase in vessel length 15% with maximum

length 60 ft– One time increase in horsepower 15% with maximum

horsepower 400 ft• 9 member Shrimp License Management Review

Board– Elected from shrimp license holders– Reviewed hardship and appeal cases for initial

eligibility

How the Buyback Worked (con’t)

• SLMP made changes in enforceability – Created category of flagrant violations

Funding of Buyback

• Surcharge on shrimp handling and harvesting licenses sold

• $1.4 million was acquired in 1997 as a three-year federal grant

• Private donations of $132,000 • May 2000, $3.00 fee on Saltwater Fishing

Stamp: estimated $1.3 mil. (expires August 2005)

Table 1. Results of the Texas Bay and Bait License Buyback Program, 1996-2003 (Nominal Dollars).

Year RoundNumber Bought

License in Fishery/After Buyback

High Low AverageTotal

Spent/Round

1996 1 30 2975 $6,000 $220 $3,394 $101,820

1997 2 37 2938 $6,000 $800 $3,424 $126,687

1998 3 59 2879 $6,400 $1,500 $3,692 $217,855

1998 4 53 2826 $6,500 $2,500 $3,554 $188,345

1999 5 75 2751 $7,000 $2,500 $4,632 $347,400

1999 6 118 2633 $8,500 $2,000 $5,544 $654,250

2000 7 105 2528 $8,600 $1,500 $6,273 $658,698

2001 8 77 2451 $8,000 $2,500 $6,039 $465,000

2001 9 142 2309 $8,500 $3,000 $6,255 $888,185

2002 10 119 2190 $8,950 $3,000 $6,607 $786,285

2002 11 86 2104 $9,500 $2,500 $6,999 $601,896

2003 12 105 2000 $9,500 $2,300 $7,202 $756,194

Grand Total

1005 $5,792,615

Funk, et al. (2003)

• Simulation model 1998 on bay shrimping• 289 excess license• Only $25 surcharge on shrimp harvesters

– 15 years to buyback excess license• Additional funds of $500,000/year

– 5 years to buyback excess license• Reduction in bay effort caused increase in

gulf effort

Other Groups Affected

• Reduction in bycatch of other fish and sea turtles in bays

• Increase in bycatch of other fish and sea turtles in gulf

• Cost to society w/government grants• Cost to recreational fishery (increase in

Salt-water Stamp)

Evaluation of Data w/ Changes

• Annual crop: abundance• Prices of shrimp• Regulations

Effort in Bay Shrimp Fisheries

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

TX

FL to LA

Days Fished (1000) Bays

Buyback Years

Effort in Gulf Shrimp Fisheries

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

TX

FL to LA

Days Fished (1000) Gulf

Buyback Years

Landings in Bay Shrimp Fisheries

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

TX

FL to LA

BaysLandings (mil lbs tails)

Buyback Years

Landings in Gulf Shrimp Fisheries

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

TX

FL to LA

Buyback Years

GulfLandings (mil lbs tails)

CPUE in Bay Shrimp Fisheries

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

TX

FL to LA

BaysBuyback Years

CPUE

CPUE in Gulf Shrimp Fisheries

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

TX

FL to LA

Buyback YearsGulfCPUE

Profit per Day Fished in Bay Shrimp Fisheries

0.0

100.0

200.0

300.0

400.0

500.0

600.0

700.0

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

TX

FL to LA

Profit/Day Fished ($) BaysBuyback Years

Profit per Day Fished in Gulf Shrimp Fisheries

-200

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

TX

FL to LA

Profit/Day Fished ($) Gulf Buyback Years

Price per Pound in Bay Shrimp Fisheries

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

4.50

5.00

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

TX

FL to LA

Buyback YearsBays$/lb (2002 $)

Price per Pound in Gulf Shrimp Fisheries

0.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

7.00

8.00

9.00

10.00

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

TX

FL to LA

Gulf$/lb (2002 $)

Buyback Years

Strengths and Weakness

• Purpose: voluntary license buyback program to remove licenses without creating excessive social and economic disruptions within coastal communities

• Goal: effort reduction will eventually lead to long-term sustainable fishery without economic instability

Strengths and Weakness (con’t)

• Co-management process – Texas Shrimp Advisory Committee – Shrimp License Management Review Board – Allowed communities to take responsibility for the

public’s shrimp resource • Continued funding:

– Shrimp fishery– Society– Recreational fishermen

Strengths and Weakness (con’t)

• Frame work gives opportunity when EEZ go to limited entry

• Restrictions on license transfer expired on September 1, 1999– Has not affected price license– Potential buyers not in shrimping fishery– Creates a philanthropic opportunity (10 licenses

retired)