Several Sea Grant programs are committed to the removal of abandoned, lost or derelict crab pots, which can hurt commercially valuable organisms and seagrass communities and result in the loss of fishing time and profits when boats are damaged after making contact with traps. Texas Sea Grant supports a volunteer-based Removing Abandoned Crab Trap Program in partnership with the San Antonio Bay Partnership to remove abandoned crab traps and other “ghost fishing” items that have resulted in reduced fish landings and financial losses by fisheries. Similarly, Louisiana Sea Grant in conjunction with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife hosts a Derelict Crab Trap Rodeo to reduce hazards to boats, reduce entanglement and to return blue crabs and other marine life that may continuously become trapped in abandoned fishing gear back into the wild.
Photo Credit: Louisiana Sea Grant
Alt Text: Volunteers working together to collect and remove abandoned crab traps from Louisiana waters during their annual Derelict Crab Trap Rodeo.
