![Turtle escaping a trawl net via a turtle excluder device.]()
There are multiple shapes and designs of TEDs, with new ones being developed each year. In order for TEDs to be approved for use by NOAA, and to ensure minimal sea turtle mortality, they must be tested. Photo: NOAA Fisheries/Dan Foster
Approved TED Designs
For a list of currently approved TED designs, please refer to 50 CFR 223.207.
TED Construction Information
Parker Soft TED Instructions (PDF, # pages)
Standard Steel TED (PDF, # pages)
Large Bent Rod TED (PDF, # pages)
Mid-sized Bent Rod TED (PDF, # pages)
TED Escape Openings – Any of the following TED openings may be fished inshore. However, only the 71-Inch TED Opening and the Double-Cover TED Opening are permissible offshore. Please refer to 50 CFR 222.102 (PDF, 7 pages) for further definitions of inshore and offshore waters.
- Instructions for the 44-Inch Inshore Turtle Escape Opening (PDF, # pages)
- Instructions for the 71-Inch Offshore Turtle Escape Opening (PDF, # pages)
- Guide for Checking Double-Cover TED Opening (PDF, # pages)
More Information
An oceanic whitetip shark swims near the surface of the water. Photo courtesy of John Carlson.
Oceanic whitetip shark. Hawaiʻi longline fishermen use leaders to connect weighed branch lines and baited hooks. A new rule prohibits steel wire leaders in the Hawaiʻi deep-set longline fishery, starting May 31, 2022. The rule aims to increase the survival of hooked oceanic whitetip sharks caught as bycatch in the Pacific Islands region. Credit: Andy Mann