From Feb. 20 to March 1, Texas coastal waters will be closed to crabbing with wire mesh crab traps for 10 days to facilitate the annual volunteer crab trap cleanup. Any traps left in bays — including traps tied to docks — will be assumed abandoned and considered “litter” under state law. This allows volunteers to legally remove any crab traps they find.
Volunteers may focus their efforts on Feb. 21 or work at their own pace throughout the closure; traps cannot be removed prior to Feb. 20 or after March 1. Additional opportunities for land-based volunteers are available but limited.
The Coastal Conservation Association Texas, Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program, Galveston Bay Foundation, San Antonio Bay Partnership, Christmas Bay Foundation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will provide continued support to the 2026 crab trap removal program. In addition, numerous organizations and companies will be volunteering their services.
