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| photo courtesy of Jo Ellen Pearman |
The Apalachicola Bay is a lot
cleaner today thanks to numerous groups and individuals who took part in the Ghost
Trap Rodeo on Saturday.
Instead of fish, the Ghost
Trap Rodeo has participants hunt for abandoned crab traps, plastics and other
marine debris.
Over 4 hours on Saturday,
volunteers collected over nearly 6000 pounds of trash from the Bay, including 193
derelict crab traps.
It was the most successful Rodeo
event held locally since the program began in 2018, thanks in large part to the
Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission who brought 3 airboats to the event so they were able to get trash
from those hard-to-reach places.
Not only did volunteers get
rid of the unused crab traps, but also removed a bunch of other trash including
a bicycle, car tires and a number of mattresses.
And they were able to rescue a
Barbie Doll that was caught in one of the crab traps.
The volunteers got prizes
ranging from coolers and rods and reels to filet knives and even George Foreman
Grill.
People also won gift
certificates from local stores and restaurants.
Organizers of the event said
the Rodeo would not have been possible without the generous donations and help
from local businesses and individuals.
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