TPWD Releases Billionth Fish Into Texas Waters

LAKE JACKSON, TX — Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Coastal Fisheries Division released the billionth hatchery-produced fingerling into Texas coastal waters on Wednesday, July 31.

The fish was raised by TPWD’s Coastal Fisheries Enhancement Program as part of a decades-long effort by the department to ensure coastal fisheries are sustainable and abundant for generations to come, a TPWD press release stated.

Billie the Billionth, a name suggested and voted on by the public, was released along with thousands of other fingerlings at an event Wednesday at a boat ramp on Christmas Bay in Freeport.

The billionth fish is a red drum fingerling (one- to two-inch fish), which is one of the most sought-after game fish in the state. It has seen record-high populations, thanks to successful fishery management, according to the release. 

This milestone, four decades in the making, is made possible thanks to the sustained beneficial partnerships with the Coastal Conservation Association, DOW Chemical, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, the S.E.A., Phillips 66, anglers who’ve purchased their saltwater fishing licenses in Texas, and funding from the Federal Sport Fish Restoration Program (the Dingell-Johnson Act of 1950), the release stated.

“We are proud to celebrate this historic milestone with the people of Texas and shed light on the work biologists and technicians have put in to keep these fisheries healthy,” said Robin Riechers, director of TPWDs Coastal Fisheries Division. “Coastal Fisheries staff have been stocking saltwater fish into Texas bays since the 1980s to revitalize historic fisheries and speed up the recovery of overfished stocks. TPWD’s long withstanding history of implementing strategic fishery management practices have helped keep fish stocks healthy and sustainable for Texas anglers. We could not have reached the stocking of the billionth fish without the support of Texas’ anglers, our partners and staff.” 

For more information about TPWD’s Coastal Fisheries Division, including stocking information, hatcheries and more, visit  https://tpwd.texas.gov/about/administration-divisions/coastal-fisheries.