“‘Ghost Fishing’ is what fishing gear does when it has been lost, dumped or abandoned. Imagine a fishing net that gets snagged on a reef or a wreck and gets detached from the fishing vessel. Nets, long lines, fish traps or any man made contraptions designed to catch fish or marine organisms are considered capable of ghost fishing when unattended, and without anyone profiting from the catches, they are affecting already depleted commercial fish stocks. Caught fish die and in turn attract scavengers which will get caught in that same net, thus creating a vicious circle.” – ghostfishing.org
In order to combat the effects of ghost fishing, from February 15th to February 24th, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will be working with volunteers to remove abandoned or lost crab traps from the coastal waters of Texas. During this period, use of wire mesh crab traps in Texas Coastal water will be restricted, resuming on February 25th. Volunteers are needed to assist in the cleanup efforts.
For information on volunteering, contact TPWD coordinator Glen Sutton at (281) 534-0100.
Drop off sites around Galveston include:
Jones Lake State Ramp
Seabrook SH 146 Bridge Public Boat Ramp
Chocolate Bayou State Boat Ramp FM 2004
TPWD Dickinson Marine Lab in Dickinson
VoStingaree Restaurant and Marina in Crystal Beach
