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The Pontchartrain Conservancy partnered with other local agencies and volunteers to remove thousands of derelict crab traps from the Lake Pontchartrain Basin. They also provided data to analyze the economic impact of derelict crab traps on the Louisiana blue crab fishery.
Type of Project: Removal
Region: Gulf of America
Project Dates: September 2019 - August 2021
Who was involved?
With the support from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, the Pontchartrain Conservancy, in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the Louisiana Master Naturalists, Common Ground Relief, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, local universities, and volunteers, removed thousands of derelict crab traps from the Lake Pontchartrain Basin. The project focused their work in an area of the lake that was closed by the state of Louisiana in 2020 and 2021.
What was the project and why is it important?
The commercial crab fishery in Louisiana is an important fishery that yielded an average of 18,600,000 kg (41,000,000 pounds) crabs brought to port from 2013 to 2017. The Louisiana blue crab fishery is frequently both the largest blue crab fishery and domestic blue crab supplier in the United States. In Louisiana, commercial crabbers can fish with an unlimited number of crab traps and each year,a portion of crab traps will become derelict by being discarded, lost, or abandoned in the marine environment. Once lost, they continue to “ghost fish” for target and non-target species and become navigational hazards.
This project removed derelict crab traps from an area within the Lake Pontchartrain Basin. The Pontchartrain Conservancy also collected data to analyze the economic impact of derelict crab traps on the Louisiana blue crab fishery.
What were the results?
During the project period, the Pontchartrain Conservancy , alongside project partners, contractors, and volunteers, were able to remove 7,829 derelict crab traps from the Lake Pontchartrain Basin. This resulted in 119,030 pounds of marine debris being removed from coastal waters and marshes, cleaning 440,771 total acres of the basin. Up to 44 percent of the 51,960 pounds of removed marine debris was able to be recycled with help from the EMR group.
For more information about this project, visit the Marine Debris Program Clearinghouse.