The Texas fisheries and aquaculture industries face numerous challenges, including workforce shortages, climate-related impacts, rising operational costs, and declining infrastructure. In addition to these issues, industry members face marine debris-related impacts from hurricanes, other types of inclement weather, normal wear-and-tear, and interactions with wildlife or other industry activities. Sources of marine debris in these industries include vessels; fishing gear such as nets, traps, fishing line, and aquaculture cages; boating supplies such as anchors and buoys; and other items. This debris poses hazards to navigation, safety, wildlife, marine and coastal habitats, and recreation, and also impacts industry members economically through lost income, high gear replacement costs, and high debris removal costs.
In this project, Texas Sea Grant (TXSG) seeks to address a crucial gap in the preparedness and resilience of the Texas fisheries and aquaculture sectors by developing a local marine debris-aware workforce. Through the creation of a coalition of local partners representing each sector as well as waterfront businesses and essential organizations that engage in debris removal, marine debris needs, challenges, and solutions will be identified. Working collaboratively with the coalition, TXSG will co-create a best practices guide printed in multiple languages for marine debris mitigation, which includes strategies for disaster preparedness, prevention and gear loss techniques, removal practices, legal considerations, and available resources.
This project will build partnerships to address marine debris prevention and removal at the community level, provide technical support to local stakeholders to mitigate marine debris, and enhance community literacy.
Matthew H. Kammann | Fisheries Bycatch Reduction Project Manager
Texas Sea Grant College Program, Division of Research | Texas A&M University
6300 Ocean Dr., NRC Unit 5840| Corpus Christi, TX 78412
Ph: 361.480.8587 | mkammann@tamu.edu
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TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY