Abandoned Crab Trap Drop-off Sites Announced

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CORPUS CHRISTI — Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials announced drop-off sites for the 8th Texas Abandoned Crab Trap Removal Program, scheduled this year from Feb. 19 to 28.

During this 10-day period, all Texas bays will be closed to crabbing with crab traps, and any traps left in the bay will be presumed to be abandoned and considered litter under state law, thus allowing volunteers to legally remove any crab traps they find.

Volunteers are needed to assist in the coast-wide effort to remove the numerous wire mesh traps that have been lost or abandoned since last year’s cleanup.

To facilitate volunteer trap removal efforts this year, TPWD will provide facilitated trap drop-off sites at several locations along the coast Saturday, Feb. 20, from 8 a.m. to noon, weather permitting. Additionally, at all sites, dumpsters marked with banners will be available to receive traps for the duration of the closure.

Volunteers can work at their own pace during the closure as time and weather permit, but traps cannot be removed prior to Feb. 19 or after Feb 28. Last year, volunteers, with the aid of numerous sponsors, removed more than 1,900 traps bring the total removed since the program began to 25,974.

Thanks to the donations of the Coastal Conservation Association, Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program, and others,  volunteers can arrange to pick-up free tarps, gloves, trap hooks and additional information at their local TPWD Coastal Fisheries Field Stations. TPWD requests that volunteers record and submit information about the number of traps that they collect as well as any sightings of diamondback terrapins.  Also those removing traps within the boundary of the Redfish Bay State Scientific Area should be aware of crab trap floats marking prop scar study sites and should avoid removing these floats.

For more information about the Abandoned Crab Trap Removal Program and how you can volunteer, please contact your local TPWD Coastal Fisheries Office or Art Morris at the Corpus Christi Field Station: (361) 825-3356, art.morris@tpwd.texas.gov; or Tonya Wiley at the Dickinson Marine Lab: (281) 534-0131, tonya.wiley@tpwd.texas.gov.

* Sabine Lake — Local TPWD coordinator Jerry Mambretti (409) 983-1104

  • Tx/La Causeway Boat Ramp — Trap drop-off site

Galveston Bay — Local TPWD coordinator Bill Balboa (281) 534-0110

  • Jones Lake State Ramp (Fat Boys)Facilitated & Trap drop-off site
  • TPWD Dickinson Marine Lab-1502 FM 517 E, Dickinson — Trap drop-off site
  • Galveston Island State Park — Trap drop off site
  • Seabrook SH 146 Bridge Public Boat Ramp — Trap drop-off site
  • Fort Anahuac County Park Boat Ramp — Facilitated & Trap drop-off site
  • Chocolate Bayou State Boat Ramp- FM 2004 — Facilitated & Trap drop-off site
  • Pier 30 Bait and Tackle-1617 E. Hwy 332, Freeport — Trap drop-off site

Matagorda Bay — Local TPWD coordinator Leslie Hartman (361) 972-6253

  • Mitchell Cut Boat (ICWW) Ramp @ Sargent — Trap drop-off site
  • Matagorda Harbor @ Matagorda — Trap drop-off site

San Antonio Bay — Local TPWD coordinator Norman Boyd (361) 983-4425

  • Charlie’s Bait Stand — Facilitated & Trap drop-off site
  • Port O’Connor TPWD Docks — Facilitated & Trap drop-off site

Aransas Bay — Local TPWD coordinator Karen Meador (361) 729-2328

  • Goose Island State Park Boat Ramp — Trap drop-off site
  • North Cove Harbor Boat Ramp — Trap drop-off site

Corpus Christi Bay — Local TPWD coordinator Tom Wagner (361) 729-2328

  • South Conn Brown Harbor Boat Ramp — Facilitated & Trap drop-off site

Upper Laguna Madre — Local TPWD coordinator Todd Neahr (361) 825-3353

  • Bluff Landing Marina — Trap drop-off site
  • Kaufer Park Boat Ramp — Trap drop-off site

Lower Laguna Madre —  Local TPWD coordinator Mark Lingo (956) 350-4490

  • Adolfe Thomae County Park @ Arroyo City — Trap drop-off site
  • Port Mansfield Navigation District Ramp @ Port Mansfield — Trap drop-off site

* Correction, Feb. 10, 2010: The original version of this news release omitted the list of drop-off sites. (Return to corrected item.)