Loggerhead turtle, finfish and shrimp retention studies on four excluder devices (TEDs)

Authors:

Christian, P. and Harrington, D

Year:

1987

Journal/Publisher Name:

In Proceedings of the Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Symposium, 8-10 September, 1987. Georgia DENR, Social Circle, GA.

Page #s:

114-127

Publisher Address:

Georgia Dept. Natur. Res., Game and Fish Division. P. Christian, Univ. Georgia, Marine Extension Serv., Brunswick. Georgia 31523 USA.

Turtle excluder devices reduce sea turtle and non-target finfish (Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulateus), spot (Leiostomus exanthurus), sea catfish (Arius felis), and weakfish (Cynoscion regalis)) bycatch in the Gulf of Mexico prawn trawl fishery. Catch of targeted shrimp varied by location and TED configuration, but there was no significant difference in shrimp catch rates in 3 of the 4 TEDs when compared with a control net. One experimental TED in Texas exhibited a decrease in shrimp catch.
Field Studies:

Location	Fishing gear	Reduction technique	Bycatch species	Effect on bycatch species	Catch	Effect on target catch	Type
Gulf of Mexico	Trawls	Excluder devices	Sea Turtles	Reduced bycatch	shrimp	Catch varied by TED configuration and location	In the wild