A case for turtle excluder devices
Alongside seasonal fishing restrictions, the forest department has made it compulsory for fishing trawlers to install turtle excluder devices (TEDs) in their nets. A TED is an escape mechanism fitted into a trawl net. Smaller marine animals, such as shrimp, pass through the grid and remain in the net, while larger animals, including sea turtles, are directed by the angled grid towards an escape opening. When properly installed and used, TEDs allow turtles caught in fishing nets to escape.
In October, the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) distributed 1,200 TEDs free of charge to trawler owners in Odisha, urging fishers to adopt the equipment. The initiative comes amid restrictions imposed by the US in 2019 on imports of wild-caught shrimp from India, linked to concerns about the use of TEDs in Indian fishing vessels.
Under Section 609 of the US Public Law 101-162, shrimp and shrimp products cannot be imported from countries that have not been certified by the US Department of State as having adequate measures to prevent the incidental capture of sea turtles. The certification process takes account of whether fishing fleets use TEDs that meet the technical specifications of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The US has required TEDs in its own waters since 1987, according to MPEDA officials.