NOAA Fisheries withdraws TED rule

NOAA Fisheries has decided to withdraw a proposed rule that would have required turtle excluder devices in certain shrimp trawls.

Based on new data collected this summer, NOAA is withdrawing a proposed rule to require turtle excluder devices for skimmer trawls, pusher-head trawls, and wing-net trawls in the southeast shrimp fisheries.

NOAA said data showed the devices may not prevent small sea turtles from being caught in nets as previous data suggested.

The proposed rule would have affected 2,600 fishermen.

Turtle excluder devices are very effective at allowing turtles to escape from otter trawl nets operating offshore, but the device may need to be modified to work effectively for the inshore trawl fisheries.

Typically, skimmer trawls fish in shallow areas where they tend to encounter smaller, young turtles, while otter trawls fish in both shallow and deeper waters so on average they tend to encounter larger turtles.

NOAA fishery observers found that turtles captured in skimmer trawls are so small that they are not necessarily able to escape through the Turtle excluder device door.

Instead, the smaller turtles can pass through the bars of the Turtle excluder device and get caught inside the end of the net, potentially causing them to drown rather than allowing them to escape as intended.

NOAA says its not abandoning the issue, there's just more work that needs to be done to get it right.

While Turtle excluder devices have been required in otter trawls for more than 20 years, fishermen using skimmer trawls, pusher-head trawls, and wing-net trawls are authorized to use tow time limits instead to help prevent incidental catch of turtles. 

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