Santa Barbara Channelkeeper hosting lobster trap removal in Goleta on Saturday

GOLETA, Calif. – Santa Barbara Channelkeeper gathered volunteers and will be hosting a lobster trap removal event at Black Rock Beach in Goleta on Saturday.

Derelict lobster traps can entangle marine life, release microplastics, and present safety hazards to vessels and beachgoers, said Channelkeeper spokeswoman Laura Sanchez, adding that over 6,500 lobster traps were reported lost off California's coast during the 2019-20 season.

The U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife calls marine debris one of the most pervasive threats to the health of the world's coastal areas and oceans, Sanchez said.

Volunteers will gather at Black Rock Beach below More Mesa in Goleta to remove more than 80 lobster traps, digging them out and loading them onto a boat that will take them to the Santa Barbara Harbor for proper disposal.

The event marks the Channelkeeper's second lobster trap removal event in collaboration with the Fishermen of Santa Barbara. In June of 2021, volunteers successfully removed more than 40 traps from Ellwood and Haskell's beaches, Sanchez said.