Abandoned crab traps are a big problem in Galveston Bay.
So much so that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will ban crabbing between Feb. 19 and 28 so volunteers can scoop up these old traps. This will happen in waters throughout the state, part of a program that's been in place for nearly two decades.
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Those forgotten devices can still catch crab and trap other marine life, but no one checks or cleans them out – meaning countless water creatures are needlessly held in captivity and die before they can escape.
"We’re trying to avoid that mortality," Ballinger said.
Commercial crabbers will be barred from operating in Galveston Bay and are asked to remove their own traps for that week. That way, volunteers have a clear conscience when collecting any trap they find.
Any trap found that week will be considered abandoned, Ballinger said.
Anyone willing to help can head out on the waters of the bay during that week and grab any traps they find. They're asked to turn them into any location listed on this TPWD webpage.
If you find a trap containing live crabs, Ballinger said biologists urge that they are thrown back into the water before the traps are turned in.
February 05, 2021 at 12:14AM
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Help needed finding abandoned crab traps in Galveston Bay - Chron
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