Texas Parks and Wildlife staff on July 31 released the Coastal Fisheries Division’s billionth hatchery-produced red drum fingerling, named “Billie the Billionth,” along with thousands of other young fish at Christmas Bay in Freeport.
Four decades in the making, the milestone was celebrated as part of an effort to stock saltwater fish in Texas bays and speed the recovery of overfished stocks.
Fingerlings are stocked coastwide from Sabine Lake to the Lower Laguna Madre. Stocked species include red drum, spotted seatrout, and southern flounder.
“Fish stocking gives us a tool that complements our fisheries monitoring programs and allows us to help mother nature when need be,” said Christopher Mace, the Marine Development Center’s Enhancement Director.
“For example, our enhancement efforts after winter storm Uri, which focused on spotted seatrout, highlights those complementary efforts.”
