San Antonio Bay led the coast this year in traps brought in during the February Crab Trap Removal. There were traps dropped off at all 3 sites. In fact, all 3 dumpsters were completely full, and traps had to be transported to other sites, partially because they were smaller dumpsters than we have used in the past. We will go back to the large 30yd roll-offs next year. A big thanks to Dan Alonso (San Antonio Bay Foundation) and Allan Berger (San Antonio Bay Partnership) for enlisting and coordinating many boats and volunteers. These 2 groups were responsible for almost all the traps removed from the San Antonio Bay system. Great job guys!! That’s how you lead by example!

As always thanks to Neal and Karen Gray for letting us use a corner of their parking lot at Charlie’s. Thanks also to the POC CCA chapter for providing food at the POC site. These folks have been making food available for the crab trap clean up since the beginning; that’s just amazing!  Thanks also to CCA for supporting this effort with people, supplies, and funding. This year Waste Management also donated all 3 dumpsters. And special recognition goes to all the volunteers who sacrificed a perfectly good fishing day just so they could trash their boats with mud, oysters, barnacles, and old traps. Without all the volunteers over the years the traps would still be out there fishing, killing crabs, fish, and turtles, and generally getting in the way. Great work folks, you are truly environmental heroes!

And I would like to take this opportunity to voice a special thanks to my friend Ronnie Luster. Ronnie and warden Captain Rex Mayes were instrumental in getting us started down this road of ridding the bays of abandoned traps. Through his efforts with the CCA Ronnie has been involved for all these years.

Norman Boyd
San Antonio Bay Ecosystem Leader
Texas Parks & Wildlife Depart. Coastal Fisheries Division