December 23, 2024

Media Contact: Cassandra Champion

361-450-7873

Corpus Christi, Texas — The Texas Surf Conservancy is pleased to announce that it has established the inaugural Texas Oyster Policy Fellowship for the upcoming 2025 Texas legislative session. The nonprofit environmental organization founded by Brad Lomax, which focuses on oyster mariculture and oyster conservation in Texas, will work over the coming months to advance its legislative priorities tied to the Texas Surf Conservancy’s mission.

The Texas Surf Conservancy recently selected Jaclyn Flores, a Corpus Christi native and recent business school graduate, as the Fellow for the duration of the 89th Texas Legislature. Ms. Flores will operate out of Rep. Todd Hunter’s office at the state Capitol in Austin and will be responsible for oyster policy research, constituent relations, bill review and tracking, and committee monitoring.

Chairman Hunter shared, “Oyster farming is the first new seafood industry in Texas in over a hundred years and it is critical that we get it right. We look forward to working with partners across the State–from agriculture to hospitality to business–to help shape legislation and policies that promote a healthy coastal environment while encouraging strong economic development.”

The Coastal Bend region is where Texas oyster farming began–the Gulf Coast Oyster Capital of Texas. In 2019, we worked to pass legislation that allows oyster farms to grow and sustainably cultivate oysters instead of continuing the environmentally destructive method of dredging our natural reefs. Since that time, oyster farms have been established in Galveston, Matagorda, Aransas, and Copano Bays. Currently, nearly two thirds of all permitted and operating Texas oyster farms are located in Coastal Bend bays.

“With 80% of oyster habitats destroyed worldwide, we need to pay close attention to the health of our coastline as well as the well-being of our seafood industry,” TSC Board President Brad Lomax stated. “We appreciate the leadership and support of Rep. Todd Hunter and are looking forward to working together to address several important issues that impact both environmental and economic priorities.”

The Texas Surf Conservancy was established in 2022 to preserve marine habitats and promote oyster mariculture along the Gulf Coast of Texas. For more information, please visit our website at www.texassurfconservancy.org. To support legislative efforts on behalf of the farmed oyster industry in Texas, please click here to donate to the Texas Oyster Policy Fellowship Fund.

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