Turtle device changes may hurt shrimpers (ECO-NAZI ALERT)

The New Orleans Times-Picayune | 12/26/02 | Aaron Kuriloff

[Sparta]

Fisheries service to issue ruling on requiring wider escape hatch

New protections for endangered sea turtles could force Gulf of Mexico shrimp harvesters to adopt widely derided changes to their trawling gear, federal officials said last week.

Over the protests of industry groups, state biologists and U.S. Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-Chackbay, officials with the National Marine Fisheries Service said the agency will issue a rule within weeks requiring wider turtle excluder devices -- basically hatches cut into nets designed to help trapped turtles escape before they drown -- that industry representatives say are unfair and unnecessary.

"It's a disaster," said George Barisich, president of the United Commercial Fisherman's Association.

By allowing shrimp to escape along with turtles, Louisiana seafood producers say, the devices cost the industry millions of dollars each year, putting further stress on a commercial fishery already facing high fuel and insurance costs, overfishing and competition from cheap imported shrimp that this year dropped dockside prices to their lowest level in decades.

Particularly galling to Louisiana shrimpers, resource managers and political leaders said, is that the state's inshore waters aren't prime turtle habitat. Biologists have operated 10- and 16-foot test trawls on a regular basis here since the 1960s and never have caught a sea turtle.

"That's literally tens of thousands of test samples," said Martin Bourgeois, shrimp program manager for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. "For (federal officials) to ignore that data is a real kick in the you know what."

Federal researchers, however, say the rules are necessary to protect at least five species of sea turtle native to U.S. waters, particularly the Kemp's ridley sea turtle, which regulators first listed as endangered in 1970. According to Dennis Klemm, a biologist with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Protected Resources, turtle excluders free about 97 percent of the approximately 48,000 turtles that become trapped in shrimp nets each year, saving thousands from death.

"Our surveys show that there are quite a few turtles in (the Gulf)," Klemm said. "We've had a lot of public meetings, a lot of public input, and studies have been done showing (excluders) cause minimal shrimp loss."

Louisiana seafood producers protested the rule at public hearings last summer, saying they should include a regional exemption and using the state's data as evidence for their case, and they even got a congressional representative involved.

But Ken Johnson, a spokesman for Tauzin, said the congressman's intervention had little success.

"We've done everything possible to try and dissuade the agency from moving forward, but they're hellbent on doing it anyway," Johnson said. "We're convinced that the evidence used to support their decision is flawed. There haven't been any strandings inshore."

[Sparta]

This along with the fact the ChiComs continue to flood the market with shrimp, no wonder why the Louisiana seafood industry is struggling.

[Sparta]

ping!!!

[Tailgunner Joe]

bump

[Carry_Okie]

This along with the fact the ChiComs continue to flood the market with shrimp, no wonder why the Louisiana seafood industry is struggling.

It surprises me that the industry still exists given that shrimp are so easily farmed. One would have to look at who is funding the "activist" NGOs to see if this is in fact a bone being thrown to corporate aquaculture.

[The Obstinate Insomniac]

bump

[bigfootbob]

This insidious agency, NMFS, along with the United States Forest Service needs to be abolished. They've destroyed fishing and logging here in the West. Guess they've taken their show Eastward. Maybe when they "touch" enough folks we'll be able to turn this around. Strength in numbers.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!

[trebb]

I live in Mississippi (transplant via military) and they instituted the TEDS (Turtle Exclusion Devices) some years ago. The price of shrimp has definitely gone up, which kept shrimpers in business, but what's really putting a damper on the business is the casinos which took up all the free beach and closed a few processing plants. Year-by-year, the shrimpers have a tougher time of it and we even buy shrimp from Florida and Louisiana to keep prices down. Another case of government hosing the public with rules and regulations that make someone feel good, but make no sense and end up costing everyone...

[kinghorse]

I like what SCA does. They buy out shrimpers and make structure out of the boats. Shrimpers are a blight on good fishing.

[kinghorse]

But understand, SCA does what they do within the confines of the rules (in Texas). Finite number of licenses so buy the licenses. Shazaam, less shrimpers. Maybe we will even get our flounder back (after the raping the shrimpers do on juvy populations). There's no debating it, shrimping is awful on the ecosystem when done to excess. But then again, what isn't harmful done to excess.

[Mensch]

I have lived on or near the ocean (Atlantic & Pacific) all my life. The histeria surrounding threatened seaturtles has always baffled me. From my own experience as a waterman, I can attest to the fact that seaturtles, at least green seaturtles (the ones I most often come in contact with) are amongst the most numerous organisms observable. As a matter of fact, I guarantee I can walk down the beach right now, and see at least one within 10 minutes. Personally I think they should be exploited for their meat which by the way, is damn tasty.

[blackie]

Abolish the NMFS, now!

Be Well - Be Armed - Be Safe - Molon Labe!

[Mensch]

"Our surveys show that there are quite a few turtles in (the Gulf)," Klemm said. "

Well in that case they aren't endangered, are they.

[Ditter]

I have lived on the TX Gulf coast all my life & we fished off shore regularly for 15 years. I have seen exactly 2 Ridleys sea turtles, both alive, but I have seen thousands of dead baby fish. Trout, red fish, croaker, flounders & crabs, killed by bay shrimpers. Bay shrimping & shrimping close to the beach should be against the law.

[2nd_Amendment_Defender]

Another made up endangered species by the environmental whackos. These guys just seem to hate industries and will go to any length to shut those down that they don't like.

[farmfriend]

Thanks for the ping.