Oyster boats warn of possible violence in disputed Galveston Bay
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Owners of Oyster plants along Galveston Bay are now seeking criminal charges and threatening potential new lawsuits in the increasingly combative fight over oyster reefs. Some Oyster Captains report harassment, even unsafe boating maneuvers by a company trying to claim they now control a big part of Galveston Bay.
Monday morning, June 8th, Concerned Citizens of Galveston Bay will hold a news conference.
Reporters should arrive at Endeavor Marina at 3101 NASA Road 1 in Seabrook by 9 am for a press conference and tour of the area. Seating on the boat is limited, so if you want to reserve a space please let me know as soon as possible.
The dispute has taken a dangerous turn in recent weeks, in part because oyster boats are trying to rescue oysters from parts of the Bay where flood waters have changed salinity. Those oyster reefs are in now disputed waters. The state has been leasing reefs to companies for decades, but now the Chambers Liberty County Navigation District has given a sweetheart lease to a company called STORM, and they now claim they now own all the reefs, even the ones set aside for the public to collect oysters on. State game wardens have been asked to increase patrols, but some oyster companies now want criminal charges.
Oyster Boats report being videotaped in close range, and even forced into shallow waters by STORM Boats. Some oystermen now say they afraid to go out in the bay.
“The state needs to step in and stop this harassment,” says Lisa Halili, owner of Prestige Oysters in San Leon. “I do not want one of my oyster captains to get shot, and I fear this is where this is heading.”
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