Trawlers threaten turtles

TRINIDAD and To-bago will soon have a chance for its trawlers to become re-certified to exp-ort shrimp to the United States. Since the start of this year, the US State Depart-ment has banned TT shrimp imports for possibly undermining efforts at sea turtle conservation. TT trawlers may be breaching US laws which mandate that trawling nets be fitted with proper Turtle-Excluder Devices (TEDs). Most species of sea turtles are severely endangered and research shows their greatest source of mortality was from incidental capture and drowning by shrimp trawlers.

The TED is a grid of bars with an opening, which is fitted into the neck of a shrimp trawl. Shrimps slip through the bars into the bag end of the trawl, while large animals such as turtles and sharks strike the grid bars and are ejected through the opening. TEDs are 97 percent effective in excluding turtles from trawl nets and are credited with increasing turtle populations in the Gulf of Mexico. The US State Department has withdrawn its certification for Trinidad and Tobago shrimp imports under Section 609 of the US Public Law 101 to 162 which bans shrimp harvested in a way that could accidently drown turtles.

Newsday questioned Minister of Agriculture Jarrette Narine on the issue and he replied by issuing a two-page statement. The statement said the US law for shrimp exports had recently been changed after studies by the US National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) were done. “Current escape openings on TEDs do not adequately allow for the escape of the critically endangered leatherback turtles, large loggerhead turtles and large green turtles from these nets. The US TED regulations were subsequently amended to reflect these changes.”

Last November, a US inspection team visited Trinidad and Tobago to meet staff from the US Embassy and the Fisheries Division of the Ministry of Agriculture. “Inspections were conducted of the local industrial and semi-industrial trawler fleet for compliance with the requirements for the proper use and installation of TED’s on all trawl nets.” The US inspection team concluded that local trawlers were not adhering to the new US regulations on TEDs. The US Embassy conveyed these findings to the Ministry of Agric-ulture in Diplomatic Note No. 320.

The US inspector has however consented to revisit Trinidad and Tobago next month to conduct another inspection of local industrial traw-lers to re-appraise this country’s Section 609 certification status. “The Ministry of Agriculture through the Fisheries Div-ision is now working with the local industrial trawlers to ensure that the required TEDs are utilised on all trawler nets and that shrimp exports can once again be allowed to enter the US market.”