Tamaris Henderson is a second-year law student at the UGA School of Law and a Legal Fellow with Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant. The legal fellowship offers students an opportunity to work with legal and policy experts to address challenging environmental issues facing policymakers in coastal communities. The fellows are mentored by Carl Vinson Institute of Government faculty as they conduct research and develop education and outreach materials.
As a second-year law student, I did not have a lot of practical legal research experience, let alone in derelict crab and lobster trap law. Luckily enough, my experience at UGA School of Law Land Conservation Clinic (LCC) prepared me well for my work as a legal fellow with Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant. Both experiences involved conducting semester-long research projects to collect data and condense my findings into an Excel spreadsheet.
Since January, I have been working under the advisement of my supervisor, Katie Hill, at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, to study laws and policies surrounding derelict crab and lobster traps in coastal states. This work is part of a larger project directed by the Nationwide Fishing TRAP (Trap, Removal, Assessment, and Prevention) Program, funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program and led by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. The TRAP program aims to coordinate the removal of derelict fishing traps that have been lost, abandoned, or otherwise discarded.
Derelict blue crab traps. Photo provided by Virginia Institute of Marine Science.
I knew nothing about derelict gear or the damage it can do to coastal economies and environments. Lost, abandoned, or discarded gear accumulates bycatch (the capture of non-target marine species) and increases the mortality of both target and non-target marine species. I quickly learned that the mortality of the marine life entrapped in derelict gear directly impacts harvests for commercial fishers and impacts species of concern, including threatened and endangered species. Furthermore, leaving derelict gear in coastal waters disturbs and damages marine habitats.
The scope of my work centers on commercial derelict crab and lobster traps that are used to harvest the following species: blue crab, Dungeness crab, stone crab, American lobster, and spiny lobster. In the spring, I curated a spreadsheet of the coastal states that regulate these fisheries and the laws and policies that are applicable to these traps. I looked into state codes and regulations, as well as the resources states made publicly available regarding derelict traps.
In my research, I have found that coastal states do not regulate traps in the same way, and some of the states regulate traps more than others. Overall, there are several coastal states that do not directly address derelict trap prevention and management with state law. This research will establish a baseline status of derelict trap laws and policies in U.S. coastal states and show what can be improved upon or expanded.
I have continued to work on this project into the summer and have been tasked with further research into the recreational use of derelict crab and lobster traps. I am also drafting a short article for publication in a marine policy journal.
The legal fellowship has endowed me with further education and new experiences. I learned about a new issue and created a resource that provides foundational data that can be used to find the solution for it. I expanded my research capabilities. I met amazing lawyers, marine biologists, and other researchers dedicated to the TRAP program. I was also able to present my findings to the Sea Grant Legal Network, comprised of lawyers working for Sea Grant programs across the country. As an aspiring environmental lawyer, I was lucky to be invited into a grand project that aligns with my passion and career trajectory.