Help Remove Lobster Traps from Local Beaches on April 22nd

By the Santa Barbara Channelkeeper

Santa Barbara Channelkeeper recently identified an onshore lobster trap debris hotspot between Leadbetter and Hendry’s Beach.

On April 22nd, from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm, community members are invited to help dig out buried lobster traps and place them at collection points where they will be loaded onto a commercial fishing vessel and transported to the Santa Barbara Harbor for reuse or proper disposal.

In addition to cluttering up our beaches, derelict lobster traps can entangle marine wildlife, release microplastics, and create safety hazards for vessels and beachgoers. It’s important to clear these traps from the beach.

Volunteers will gather at 8:30 am at the La Plata Steps near Ledbetter Beach and will walk about 2.5 miles down the beach towards Hendry’s Beach to remove traps. Protective clothing and closed-toe shoes are required as traps can have sharp edges.

Volunteers will use shovels, bolt cutters, and pry bars to dig out buried traps, remove rocks and debris, and stage traps in piles for removal offshore to a commercial fishing boat. Fisherman Chris Voss from Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara and his team will provide vessel support to load traps and transport them to the Santa Barbara Harbor.

This is the third year of shoreline cleanup collaborations with Chris Voss and the Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara. Channelkeeper is excited to work together on this community event.

Volunteers help clear lobster traps from local beaches.

About Santa Barbara Channelkeeper
Santa Barbara Channelkeeper was founded in 1999 as a program of the Environmental Defense Center and became an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 2001. For more than 20 years, the organization has worked to protect water quality, restore aquatic ecosystems, advocate for clean water, enforce environmental laws, and educate and engage citizens in implementing solutions to water pollution and aquatic habitat degradation. Find more information at https://www.sbck.org.