New Project to Protect Sea Turtles and Improve Shrimp Fishery
Written by Admin
Tuesday, 27 July 2004
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New Project to Protect Sea Turtles and Improve Costa Rican Shrimp Fishery
July 28, 2004, San José, Costa Rica - A new project was started on
July 26, 2004 in Puntarenas, Costa Rica to improve the efficiency and
profitability of the Costa Rican shrimp fishing industry and to protect
endangered sea turtles.
Participating in the study is Sinkey
Boone, a veteran shrimp fisherman from Georgia, US, who in 1969
invented a simple and inexpensive device that reduces the capture of
unwanted by-catch, as well as sea turtles, to improve productivity in
fishing operations.
The device came to be known as a TED (Turtle Excluder Device).
"I
invented the device because so much of what we catch in the nets is
unwanted, like logs, manta rays, garbage and other flora and fauna,"
says Mr. Boone. "This by-catch crushes the shrimp, wastes our time,
tears at our nets and reduces quality and price of the shrimp."
The
TED is a circular metal gate, with bars spaced a few inches apart, sewn
into the middle of the shrimp trawl net. Shrimp pass between the bars
and stay in the net. Anything larger hits the TED bars forcing open a
flap at the bottom of the net through which by-catch escapes.
"The
TED allows us to improve the quality and price of the shrimp we catch,
keeps by-catch out, reduces our workload and keeps our nets in better
condition," says Boone. "Also, it turns out that our marine ecosystems
are protected when TEDs are used, because even though the fauna and
flora we catch accidentally is called by-catch, it all plays an
important role in ocean food chains. The less by-catch we catch the
better," he added.
Mr. Boone will work with veteran Costa Rican shrimp fishermen to
come up with a TED that works best in Costa Rican waters.
"We've
been looking forward to this project in order to improve our shrimp
industry and also protect our endangered sea turtles which are able to
escape when the TED is in place," says Alvaro Moreno, President of the
Puntarenas Chamber of Fishermen. "The future of the shrimp industry is
in innovative and progressive fishing methods. Reducing by-catch and
protecting endangered species is right in line with our vision for a
responsible and profitable industry."
Mr. Boone will be in
Puntarenas until August 14. If you would like to communicate with him
for an interview or for more information, please contact the offices of
PRETOMA.
