Texas Administrative Code
Title 25 - HEALTH SERVICES
Part 1 - DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES
Chapter 241 - SHELLFISH SANITATION
Subchapter B - MOLLUSCAN SHELLFISH
Section 241.55 - Land Based Aquaculture

(1) a description of the design and activities of the culture facility;

(2) the specific site and boundaries in which molluscan shellfish culture activities will be conducted;

(3) the types and locations of any structures, including rafts, pens, cages, nets, tanks, ponds, or floats which will be placed in the waters;

(4) the species of molluscan shellfish to be cultured and harvested;

(5) if appropriate, the source and species of other organisms to be cultured in any polyculture systems;

(6) procedures to assure that no poisonous or deleterious substances are introduced into the activities;

(7) a program of sanitation, maintenance, and supervision to prevent contamination of the final molluscan shellfish products;

(8) a description of the water source, including the details of any water treatment process or method, if necessary;

(9) a program to maintain water quality, which includes collection of microbial water samples and their method of analysis and routine temperature and salinity monitoring. The bacterial indicator monitored shall be the same as used for monitoring harvest areas;

(10) collection of information on the microbial and chemical quality of molluscan shellfish harvested from the aquaculture site;

(11) collection of data concerning the quality of food production (algae or other) used in the artificial harvest system;

(12) maintenance of the required records; and

(13) how molluscan shell stock will be harvested, processed if applicable, and sold.

(1) If the aquaculture system is of a continuous flow through design, water from a harvest area classified as approved in the open status, or in the open status of the conditionally approved classification may be used without treatment at all times molluscan shellfish are held.

(2) Water used in land-based aquaculture incorporating a closed or recirculating system shall:

(3) If the water in the closed or recirculating system meets the criteria for the conditionally approved classification, the operational plan, prior to molluscan shell stock harvest, shall require, at a minimum:

(1) Molluscan shell stock cultured in any system using water meeting the criteria for the approved classification in the open status throughout the culture period may be used in direct marketing.

(2) If the water in a closed or recirculating system is classified as conditionally approved and in the open status, and if the water quality meets a fecal coliform level of less than 14 MPN per 100 ml. in each sample collected in the 14 days prior to harvest, the molluscan shell stock may be used in direct marketing.

(3) Molluscan shell stock cultured in a closed or recirculating system which does not meet the requirements of subsection (b)(3)(A) and (B) of this section shall be relayed or depurated prior to direct marketing.