2018 CRAB TRAP REMOVAL:  Experience the salty spray of 
the gulf breeze on your face when you volunteer to help 
rid the waters of ghost fishing …on Passport to Texas.

This is Passport to Texas

Commercial crab fishermen use baited wire traps to lure 
their prey. Sometimes traps end up missing due to 
storms, or they are simply discarded. 

These traps continue “ghost fishing” for months or 
years—capturing fish and other marine creatures, 
including endangered species, thus taking an 
environmental and economic toll on gulf fisheries.

In February of 2002, TPW conducted the first abandoned 
crab trap removal program. During a 10-day period in 
February volunteers like you, join TPW staff and 
partners, in removing derelict traps. 

More than 32,000 crab traps have been removed from 
the gulf since 2002, saving tens of thousands of marine 
organisms.

This year’s cleanup is February 16th through the 25th. The 
big cleanup “push” is Saturday, February 17 from 10 to 
noon. The cleanup is the only time citizens may remove 
these traps from gulf waters.

TPW facilitates roughly 20 coastal sites, and provides 
disposal facilities, tarps, gloves, crab trap hooks and 
other items to help volunteers remove troublesome 
traps. 

To volunteer for this year’s program visit the 
Abandoned Crab Trap Removal page on the TPW 
website.

The Sport Fish restoration Program supports our series. 

For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.


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