juvenile finfish of economic and recreational value and of sea 

 turtle populations that were once of considerable economic 

 importance in various areas of the southeastern United States 

 (Cato et al. 1978). Without these counterbalancing benefits, any 

 calculation of net costs and benefits arising from requiring TEDs 

 is very questionable. 



It is clear that sea turtle populations in the western 

 Atlantic are generally marginal enough that economic and even 

 subsistence dependence upon them is a chancy affair. Maximizing 

 short-term costs associated with reducing incidental capture of 

 sea turtles in commercial fisheries will jeopardize long-term 

 economic and svibsistence opportunities. In this sense, the 

 question of the economics of incidental capture must remain open 

 until a choice is made between short-term and long-term gain. No 

 amount of mathematical conjuring will relieve us of that burden. 



The author wishes to thank his indefatigable assistant, 

 Andrea Shotkin, and intrepid intern, Nina Burns, for their 

 patient efforts to make this report graphic. 



60 



