Abstract

The wire crab trap dramatically changed the Gulf of Mexico blue crab fishery. While adoption of the crab trap had a positive impact on fishing efficiency and harvest, their proliferation has resulted in an increase in the problems associated with lost or discarded traps. Derelict traps result from abandonment and inadvertent loss of actively fished gear. These traps contribute to the mortality of blue crabs and other bycatch, exacerbate user group conflicts, create visual pollution, damage sensitive habitats, and can be navigational hazards. Conservative estimates of trap loss for the Gulf of Mexico approach 250,000 traps per year. In 2001, the State- Federal Fisheries Management Committee of the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission formed the Derelict Trap Task Force to identify individual state issues relevant to the derelict crab trap problem. Coastal waters were surveyed by air and boat to locate areas of dense trap concentrations. Removal programs initially focused on shallow waters with targeted traps visible on winter low tides and onshore; later efforts have been dedicated to deep water trap removal. State agencies and numerous volunteers have participated in retrieval programs. Data collected includes trap location and condition along with identification and enumeration of bycatch species. To date, over 58,000 traps have been removed from Gulf of Mexico waters.

PDF Preview