Subject: Ghost crab pot clean up

This summer (date not yet set) NC Audubon and the Tortoise Reserve will
sponsor a clean up of ghost crab pots around Oracoke Is., NC. From the air
1000s can be seen in 5 to 10 feet of water. Many appear to be clustered. The
plan is to make this a community effort. The watermen will help with the
cleanout and the pots will be fitted with excluders and given back to local
watermen. I will try to document numbers of terrapins (parts) recovered from
the pots. We plan to do a big PR deal along with this and if successful will
work on other sections of the NC coast in future years. I would hope the
Terrapin Institute can participate. At this time information on by catch,
excluders, crab catch in ghost pots, etc. from other regions would be most
welcome. This will take some set up time and we need to provide the watermen
with real facts. Appropriate reprints would be great. The diamondback
terrapin is a species of special concern in NC but state fisheries to date
has exhibited no interest in conservation of the species. Advise and ideas
welcome. Thanks guys. Dave Lee, torresinc@aol.com, The Tortoise Reserve, Inc.