Derelict Crab Trap Rodeo Wraps Up in the Calcasieu Basin

Joshua Prevost of (LWDF) and Josef Schuster (LSU Aquaculture and Fisheries Club) prepare to unload derelict traps collected at the Derelict Crab Trap Rodeo held in Cameron.

Sherry Morton

Baton Rouge, La.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) held its second Derelict Crab Trap Rodeo event for 2020 in Cameron on Saturday, Feb. 15. The event hosted about 40 participants and recovered nearly 160 traps. These results are outstanding for a cleanup area consisting of open water.

Participants included representatives from Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) of Louisiana, Louisiana Sea Grant, LSU AgCenter, LSU students, the American Daughters of Conservation, UL Lafayette students, Fenstermaker, the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL), Cameron Parish Port Harbor and Terminal District, and members of the fishing community. Volunteers helped collect traps in the field, unload and count traps at the dock, and properly dispose of each derelict trap by smashing and then stacking in a dumpster.

The Cameron volunteer event was sponsored by Fenstermaker and the Cameron Parish Port Harbor and Terminal District. Fenstermaker provided a plentiful amount of locally cooked jambalaya and corn for each of the participants, while Fenstermaker and the Cameron Parish Port Harbor and Terminal District both provided water and sodas. CCA also supported the volunteer rodeo event by providing nine rod and reel combos to serve as door prizes.

LDWF appreciates the volunteer participation, as the success of the rodeos helps to keep our Sportsman’s Paradise pristine. Derelict crab traps can result in navigational hazards, interfere with commercial and recreational fishing gear, and degrade the aesthetics of our natural environment. Additionally, these traps increase ghost-fishing mortality of blue crabs and other species captured incidentally.

The program, which has removed more than 41,000 derelict crab traps across coastal Louisiana since its inception, is funded by commercial angler gear fees.

For more information on the Derelict Crab Trap Removal Program, go to http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/derelict-crab-trap-removal , or contact Peyton Cagle at (337) 491-2575 or pcagle@wlf.la.gov .

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana’s abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.la.gov. To receive email and text message alerts, or to change your subscription settings, visit here.