From Florida Today

    Researchers have observed crab traps discarded after use continue to be hazardous to other animals such as dolphins, manatees, sea turtles, and fishes and therefore need to be removed. A massive clean-up, the first ever organized by the US Fish and Wildlife Service was hampered by bad weather.

Scientists have reported that of the 565 manatees rescued since the mid-70s, seventy-seven had been injured and six had died due to crab traps. Researchers believe that more frequent clean-ups are needed to remove crab traps as well as to determine how quickly do animals accumulate within the traps. This would result in new rules to be established for the proper disposal of discarded crab traps and an interim period during the fishing season to check and remove unused traps. The clean-up in Florida has also encouraged other states to institute similar measures. Approximately, 2000 discarded traps were removed off the Texas coast and about 1,500 from the Mississippi waters.