Annual Texas Abandoned Crab Trap Removal Dates Set for 2026
AUSTIN —For the past 24 years, countless volunteers band together in February to search the Texas coastline for abandoned crab traps. The abandoned traps can foul shrimpers’ nets, snag anglers’ lines, and create unsightly views. In addition, lost or abandoned fishing gear, such as nets, traps and pots continue to catch and kill marine life (called “ghost fishing”). To date, volunteers and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) staff have hauled off nearly 45,000 of these derelict traps, saving an estimated 740,500 blue crabs.