From Texas Parks & Wildlife
AUSTIN — Every February for the past 21 years, countless volunteers have offered up their time to help search for and remove abandoned crab traps.
Crab traps left in the water can foul shrimpers’ nets, snag anglers’ lines and “ghost fish” which allows traps to unintentionally kill fish trapped inside as well as create unseemly views.
To date, more than 40,000 abandoned crab traps have been removed from Texas coastal waters.
From Feb. 17 to 26, Texas coastal waters will be closed to crabbing with wire mesh crab traps to facilitate the annual volunteer crab trap cleanup.
Any traps left in bays — including traps tied to docks — will be assumed abandoned and considered “litter” under state law. This allows volunteers to legally remove any crab traps they find.
Volunteers are needed to assist in the coastwide effort to remove the numerous traps that have been lost or abandoned since last year’s cleanup.
To facilitate these efforts, select sites will have volunteer events on Saturday, Feb. 18. (The main volunteer event for Sabine Lake is Saturday, Feb. 25, in coordination with the Louisiana Department of Fish and Wildlife.)
These sites are denoted as “facilitated” in the list below. Registration with partner organizations may be required.
2023 Crab Trap Drop-Off Sites
Matagorda Bay - Local TPWD coordinator Leslie Hartman (361) 972-6253
Please visit San Antonio Bay Partnership’s site for more information about volunteering throughout the mid-coast.
Matagorda Harbor (Matagorda) – Non-facilitated trap drop-off site.
Railroad Park (Palacios) – Non-facilitated trap drop-off site.
West Mooring Boat Ramp (Sargent) – Non-facilitated trap drop-off site.
Sabine Lake – Local TPWD coordinator Carey Gelpi (409) 983-1104 (ext. 222)
Pleasure Island Marina Boat Ramp – Facilitated trap drop-off site. Volunteer event is on Saturday, Feb. 25 in coordination with Louisiana Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Galveston Bay – Local TPWD coordinator Christine Jensen (281) 534-0100
Jones Lake State Ramp (Fat Boys) — Non-facilitated trap drop-off site.
Dickinson Bayou SH 146 Bridge Public Boat Ramp — Non-facilitated trap drop-off site.
Fort Anahuac County Park Boat Ramp — Facilitated trap drop-off site. Register to volunteer at this site with the Galveston Bay Foundation.
Chocolate Bayou State Boat Ramp FM 2004 — Non-facilitated trap drop-off site.
TPWD Dickinson Marine Lab — Non-facilitated trap drop-off site during business hours (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.).
Christmas Bay boat ramp (at the end of Amigo Lane) – Facilitated by the Christmas Bay Foundation. Visit Christmas Bay Foundation’s site for more information.
San Antonio Bay – Local TPWD coordinator Kelly Kowal (361) 983-4425
Please visit San Antonio Bay Partnership’s site for more information about volunteering throughout the mid-coast.
Port O’Connor TPWD Docks — Facilitated trap drop-off site.
Charlie’s Bait Stand — Non-facilitated trap drop-off site.
Swan Point / Sanders Park Boat Ramp (Seadrift) – Non-facilitated trap drop-off site.