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The Gulf of Mexico commercial shrimp season for state and federal waters reopened 30 minutes after sunset on Friday.

Biologists evaluate the biological, social and economic impact when deciding the opening date to maximize the benefits to the industry and the public.

In making its determination, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Coastal Fisheries Division used the best available data from samples collected during routine trawls and bag seines in June.

“The annual mid-May closure protects brown shrimp until they can reach larger, more valuable sizes during their major period of emigration from the bays to the Gulf of Mexico,” said TPWD’s Coastal Fisheries Division Director Robin Riechers.

Federal waters (from 9 to 200 nautical miles offshore) opened at the same time that state waters opened. The National Marine Fisheries Service chose to adopt rules compatible with those adopted by Texas.