Estimating the Benefits of Derelict Crab Trap Removal in the Gulf of Mexico

Abstract Ghost fishing in derelict blue crab traps is ubiquitous and causes incidental mortality which can be reduced by trap removal programs. In an effort to scale the benefits of such removal programs, in the context of restoring the Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, this paper calculates the ecological benefits of trap removal by estimating the extent of derelict blue crab traps across Gulf of Mexico waterbodies and combining these estimates with Gulf-specific crab and finfish mortality rates due to ghost fishing. The highest numbers and densities of traps are found in Louisiana, with estimates ranging up to 203,000 derelict traps across the state and up to 41 traps per square kilometer in areas such as Terrebonne Bay. Mortality rates are estimated at 26 crabs per trap per year and 8 fish per trap per year. The results of this analysis indicate a Gulf-wide removal program targeting 10% of derelict traps over the course of 5 years would lead to a combined benefit of more than 691,000 kg of crabs and fish prevented from mortality in ghost fishing traps. These results emphasize the importance of ongoing derelict trap removal programs. Future work could assess additional benefits of trap removal programs, such as fewer entanglements of marine organisms, improved esthetics, and increases in harvestable catch. Lastly, this model could be utilized by fishery managers to calculate the benefits of other management options designed to decrease the extent and impact of derelict fishing gear.

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Transport of blue crab larvae in the northern Gulf of Mexico during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

Marine Ecology Progress Series ◽

10.3354/meps11238 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 527 ◽

pp. 143-156 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

BT Jones ◽

J Gyory ◽

EK Grey ◽

M Bartlein ◽

DS Ko ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Blue Crab ◽

Oil Spill ◽

Deepwater Horizon ◽

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill ◽

Northern Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Crab Larvae

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Ecological benefits of the Bahia Grande Coastal Corridor and the Clear Creek Riparian Corridor acquisitions in Texas

Shore & Beach ◽

10.34237/1008814 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 34-37

Author(s):

Sheri Land

Keyword(s):

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Federal Government ◽

Oil Spill ◽

Gulf Coast ◽

Deepwater Horizon ◽

Economic Resources ◽

Ecological Benefits ◽

Coastal Restoration ◽

Riparian Corridor ◽

The U.S

In response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, Congress passed the RESTORE Act to provide funding for coastal restoration and recovery for the affected Gulf Coast states: Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. The Act is intended to protect and restore the natural and economic resources of the Gulf of Mexico and the U.S. Gulf Coast. The environmental and economic injuries caused by the spill were extensive. The legal aftermath of the spill will require the parties responsible to pay substantial damages to address these injuries. Through the RESTORE Act, Congress allocated 80% of the administrative and civil penalties related to the spill to the states and the federal government to restore and revitalize the Gulf Coast. A portion of the RESTORE Act allocation comes directly to Texas. This article focuses on two Texas RESTORE Council-Selected Restoration Component projects funded under the Initial Funded Priorities List (FPL1).

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Restoring barrier habitat in Louisiana to compensate for natural resource injuries: Shell Island and Chenier Ronquille Barrier Restoration Projects

Shore & Beach ◽

10.34237/10088188 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 65-71

Author(s):

Whitney Thompson ◽

Christopher Paul ◽

John Darnall

Keyword(s):

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Natural Resource ◽

Large Scale ◽

Barrier Island ◽

Deepwater Horizon ◽

Coastal Protection ◽

Restoration Project ◽

Island Restoration ◽

Barataria Basin ◽

Outer Coast

Coastal Louisiana received significant funds tied to BP penalties as a result of the Deepwater Horizon incident. As it is widely considered that the State of Louisiana sustained most of the damage due to this incident, there has been a firm push to waste no time in implementing habitat restoration projects. Sustaining the land on the coast of Louisiana is vital to our nation’s economy, as several of the nation’s largest ports are located on the Gulf coast in Louisiana. In addition, the ecosystems making up the Louisiana coast are important to sustain some of the largest and most valuable fisheries in the nation. Funded by BP Phase 3 Early Restoration, the goals of the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Outer Coast Restoration Project are to restore beach, dune, and marsh habitats to help compensate spill-related injuries to habitats and species, specifically brown pelicans, terns, skimmers, and gulls. Four island components in Louisiana were funded under this project; Shell Island Barrier Restoration, Chenier Ronquille Barrier Island Restoration, Caillou Lake Headlands Barrier Island Restoration, and North Breton Island Restoration (https://www. gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/louisiana-outer-coast-restoration, NOAA 2018). Shell Island and Chenier Ronquille are critical pieces of barrier shoreline within the Barataria Basin in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. These large-scale restoration projects were completed in the years following the Deepwater Horizon incident, creating new habitat and reinforcing Louisiana’s Gulf of Mexico shoreline. The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) finished construction of the Shell Island NRDA Restoration Project in 2017, which restored two barrier islands in Plaquemines Parish utilizing sand hydraulically dredged from the Mississippi River and pumped via pipeline over 20 miles over levees and through towns, marinas, and marshes to the coastline. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) also completed the Plaquemines Parish barrier island restoration at Chenier Ronquille in 2017 utilizing nearshore Gulf of Mexico sediment, restoring wetland, coastal, and nearshore habitat in the Barataria Basin. A design and construction overview is provided herein.

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