Rajkot: The Centre’s efforts to reopen the US market for India’s wild-caught shrimp is facing resistance from Gujarat’s fishermen, who say the mandatory use of turtle excluder devices (TEDs) could lead to a substantial loss of commercially valuable fish.US, which is the largest market for Indian shrimp, has restricted imports of wild-caught shrimp from India since 2019 over concerns that fishing trawlers do not adequately protect sea turtles. The restrictions do not apply to farmed shrimp.To address the issue, scientists at the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) have developed an indigenous TED suited to Indian fishing conditions. Its design has been approved by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, raising hopes that compliance could help India regain access to the American market.TED consists of a grid of metal bars fitted inside a trawl net. Shrimp and smaller fish pass through the bars into the net, while larger animals, including sea turtles, are directed towards an escape opening.However, fishermen contend that the opening also allows large, commercially valuable species to escape. “The gap in the TED is wide due to which big fish such as ribbonfish and pomfret escape through it, resulting in a heavy loss of catch,” said Mukesh Panjari, president of the Shree Porbandar Machhimar Boat Association.“We understand the US concern, but Gujarat’s fishermen have always supported conservation efforts. There have been several instances when fishermen released turtles caught in their nets back into the sea,” Panjari added.Gujarat’s annual wild-caught shrimp harvest is estimated at around 1.5 lakh to 1.8 lakh metric tonnes. It is currently consumed domestically or exported to markets other than the US.The Centre has tasked fishery agencies and non-government organisations with persuading fishermen to adopt TEDs. The device has also been included under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, with financial assistance for its distribution to fishermen.As part of the outreach, a meeting was recently organised in Porbandar under the banner of WWF-India to explain the conservation and export benefits of TEDs.“We received feedback from fishermen that they lose up to 42% of their catch when TEDs are used. They want the design to be modified. We will work together to address their concerns,” said Dhaval Jungi, senior project officer with WWF-India’s marine conservation programme in Gujarat.“There are different nets for catching shrimp and other fish. Waters in Europe and Canada have a limited number of species, while Indian waters have multispecies fisheries,” said a CIFT scientist. “Some fishermen simultaneously catch shrimp and larger fish and their concern is that they could lose part of this catch. We are trying to address the issue,” he added.
