Local Community Removes Crab Traps from Galveston Bay, Saving Texas Wildlife!
On Saturday February 17th, Houston Zoo staff, including Rwandan conservation partner, Gorilla Doctor Noel, Zoo Crew, and Zoo volunteers worked alongside the Dallas Zoo and Galveston Bay Foundation to clean up abandoned crab traps from Galveston Bay.
This effort is part of a state-wide program that came into effect in 2001 in response to increased pressure on blue crab populations. Abandoned traps can also pose a threat to other wildlife like otters and diamondback terrapins, causing them harm. Fishing gear that is lost, dumped, or abandoned is sometimes referred to as “ghost fishing” because this gear can continue to catch aquatic species even though it has been left unattended. While these accidental catches have a clearly negative impact on the health of wildlife, they can also cause problems for the commercial fishing industry. Each animal that is caught in an abandoned trap is one less that can be caught in a sustainable and ocean-friendly manner. This means that more individuals must be caught to meet the demands of the seafood market, and as a result there are less animals in the ocean working to keep it and species populations healthy. How do we help to solve this problem? The answer is quite simple – every February, the community is invited to participate in removing these old traps from the water to protect wildlife!
While some volunteers go out on boats to collect traps, others stay behind to collect trash along the shore. All kinds of trash and recycling are collected – everything from bottles and cans to plastic straws and fishing line; sometimes even things like car tires! Removing debris from the shore is equally important, as it protects species like sea turtles and pelicans from ingesting trash or becoming entangled in line. Once boaters return with traps, they are unloaded and inspected for trapped wildlife. Any animals present in the traps are removed and released back into the water and then the traps are crushed by volunteers and disposed of at designated trap drop locations.
In total, 221 crab traps were removed from the water and over 1,000 pounds of trash, recyclable material, and fishing line were picked up from land. These efforts saved a potential 5,300 blue crabs and prevented many other animals from getting caught in abandoned traps! Looking for an easy way to help? Download the Seafood Watch App and use it when grocery shopping or dining out to make sure that the seafood you eat has been sourced in a way that does not harm wildlife. This easy action will help to ensure that marine life will continue to thrive for future generations!
For the 11th annual Wildlife Conservation Gala at the Houston Zoo, we’re shining a spotlight on the species and habitats of the Lone Star State! We’ll come together as Texans to raise the funds our Zoo needs to keep saving Texas wildlife like blue crabs, otters, and diamondback terrapins.
