Sea Turtle Bycatch Reduction in Trawl Fisheries: Longfin Squid Trawl

Current TED requirements

There are currently no TED requirements for this fishery.

New Measures Under Consideration

• TEDs (TI, TII, other approved TEDs) with the larger escape opening in the longfin squid fishery to allow sea turtles to escape trawl gear.
• Limited tow times with data loggers, if feasible and enforceable, as an alternative to the TED requirement to provide flexibility to the fishery.

Research

TI Cable TED

TI Cable TED with Top Escape Opening

TI Cable TED with Bottom Escape Opening

Catch Retention Testing

Top Opening:

• Target catch: Comparable to net with no TED
• Other bycatch: Increased benthic species catch, but after modified net floatation, benthic species catch was reduced

Bottom Opening:

• Target catch: Comparable to net with no TED
• Other bycatch: No increase in benthic species caught

TII Cable TED

Catch Retention Testing

Flounder TED

Catch Retention Testing

• Target catch: 16% loss (tested in Suriname)
• Other bycatch: Significantly reduced

  Data Loggers

  Trawl tow durations of less than one hour are expected to result in low turtle mortality. Tow duration data loggers measure the amount of time the net is in the water beyond a certain depth. The logger, which is attached to the trawl door, is ruggedized to withstand marine conditions and handling on deck. The data logger indicates when tow durations have been exceeded, allowing for monitoring and enforcement.

  Feasibility Testing

  Data loggers were found to reliably record and monitor limited tow durations and withstood fishing conditions. We are continuing to test the latest technology to ensure that the monitoring and enforcement of limited tow durations is feasible.

  References

  • Target catch: Not statistically significant loss of 10%
  • Other non-target catch: Not statistically significant loss of 3%
    • Catch loss of longfin inshore squid when using the TI Cable Grid
    • Evaluation of the NOAA Fisheries flounder TED in the longfin squid trawl fishery
    • Development and testing of a tow time data logger to monitor and enforce tow time restrictions in trawl fisheries

For copies of references please contact Carrie Upite, Sea Turtle Recovery Coordinator, (978) 282-8475.

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