Wallisville Park staff cleans up abandoned crab traps

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Each year, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Division (TPWD) closes crab fishing with wire mesh crab traps for ten days to give volunteers the opportunity to round up lost and abandoned traps. The closure is traditionally in late February or early March. Unattended traps “ghost fish” and kill blue crabs and other species unnecessarily and can also create a navigation hazard for boaters.
According to a press release from TPWD, since the “Crab Trap Roundup” began 22 years ago, volunteers have removed 42,500 derelict traps, saving an estimated 700,000 blue crabs, a valuable natural resource.
Each year at the Wallisville Lake Project, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Galveston District (SWG) personnel join the Crab Trap Roundup, while they patrol.

The Wallisville Lake Project Crab Trap Roundup 2024 team from left, Obed Contreras-Sosa, USACE, SWG heavy equipment operator, Dan Hartman, SWG engineer technician, Eric Angle, SWG Natural Resources Management Specialist and Zachary Gisler, SWG maintenance worker. Team collected 10 traps, 12 out of season duck decoys, one Pikachu helium balloon and dozens of Styrofoam crab trap floats in just a few hours on patrol at the Wallisville Lake Project.

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Tags: safety, environmental stewardship, water management, crab trap round up

Photo by: Luke Waack | VIRIN: 240222-A-XJ740-1004.JPG

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