CONTROVERSY 



By Kathy Hart 



^^rom North Carolina to Texas, fishermen, en- 

 vironmentalists, and state and federal management 

 agencies are butting heads over TEDs. 



A TED is a turtle excluder device— an aluminum and 

 web box that prevents endangered sea turtles from 

 drowning in shrimp nets. 



In a few months, many Southeast fishermen will be 

 required to install TEDs in their nets. It's a require- 

 ment that has fishermen hopping mad and environmen- 

 tal groups cheering. 



The devices, intended to protect turtles, have pitted 

 fishermen against environmentalists. And each group 

 has its own support cast— congressmen, federal agen- 

 cies, state agencies and fisheries organizations— willing 

 to enter the fray on its behalf. 



The National Marine Fisheries Service spent nine 

 years and over $3.5 million developing a workable ex- 

 cluder device that could be sewn into fishermen's nets 

 to eject turtles and small fish while catching shrimp. 



For the last four years, NMFS gear experts asked 

 shrimpers to install and use the TEDs on a voluntary 

 basis. But more often than not, the requests were 

 ignored. 



Fishermen say the TEDs will reduce their catches of 

 shrimp, the most sought-after and valuable species on 

 the South Atlantic and Gulf coasts. 



In 1986, Southeastern fishermen netted over 325 

 million pounds of shrimp valued at over $600 million 

 dollars. 



With competition keen from foreign imports, 

 fishermen say they can ill afford to lose a single pound 

 of the tasty crustaceans. 



When it comes to money, fishermen also point to the 

 cost of installing TEDs. The NMFS TED costs about 

 $350. Most North Carolina shrimpers pull two nets; 

 some, four. And they'll need a spare. The overall cost 

 could be $1,000 to $2,000 per shrimper. 



And the shrimpers worry that the 2V2-by-4 foot ex- 

 cluder devices will injure crewmen as they swing on 

 and off the deck. To a fishermen, injuries translate to 

 added dollars for already escalating insurance costs. 



Some fishermen and fishery organizations go so far as 

 to say the TED could put them out of business. 



But NMFS officials don't think so. They have tried to 

 counter the fishermen's concerns. 



They told them of data from thousands of hours of 

 tests that showed TEDs did not detract from shrimp 

 catches or cause injuries. 



But the wary fishermen remained largely 

 unconvinced. 



To them, TEDs were another government interven- 

 tion, another device for making a tough job even 

 harder. 



But NMFS had a job to do, too. 



Along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NMFS 

 was bound by law to uphold the Endangered Species 

 Act that prohibits the capture of turtles. 



And turtles were being captured, though uninten- 

 tionally, in shrimpers' trawl nets. 



NMFS specialists estimate that more than 45,000 sea 

 turtles are caught in shrimp trawls each year. Of those, 

 more than 11,000 drown. 



Environmentalists saw the statistics as a red flag. 



