MPEDA eyes 100% Turtle Excluder Device adoption within a year to protect sea turtles, reopen US shrimp exports

Kochi: For fishermen operating bottom trawlers off Kerala's coast, finding a sea turtle trapped in their nets is more than an environmental concern. It can damage the catch, slow operations, and increasingly place them at the centre of a global conservation challenge that now has implications for India's seafood exports.

As endangered sea turtles continue to face mounting threats in Indian waters, the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), Kochi, is fast-tracking the adoption of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) across the country's mechanised fishing fleet.

The move is aimed at protecting marine biodiversity while also helping India regain access to lucrative export opportunities, including the possible lifting of a United States embargo on Indian wild-caught shrimp.

Kerala has emerged as a key focus of the initiative, with authorities targeting 100 per cent implementation of TEDs in the state's trawl fleet within the next year.

Sea turtles, especially the Olive Ridley, have long been part of Kerala's marine ecosystem. Along the coast, local communities and conservation groups have spent decades protecting nesting sites at places such as Kolavipalam in Kozhikode, Chavakkad in Thrissur and Thottappally in Alappuzha. Yet their biggest battle often unfolds at sea.

Large stretches of Kerala's coastline have lost suitable nesting habitats due to coastal erosion and extensive seawall construction. Experts estimate that seawalls now cover nearly 60 to 70 per cent of the state's coastline, forcing turtles into fewer nesting areas and increasing their vulnerability.

During the breeding season, which peaks around January, many turtles become accidental victims of bottom trawl fishing operations. Swept into fishing nets along with commercial catch, they often struggle to escape. Plastic pollution and abandoned ghost nets further compound the danger.

The device that could change everything
To address this challenge, scientists at the ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) developed a Turtle Excluder Device that meets the stringent standards prescribed by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The TED is essentially a specially designed metal grid fitted inside the narrow cod-end of a trawl net. As the net moves across the seabed, shrimp and fish pass through the grid's carefully designed four-inch spacing and continue into the catch section. Larger animals such as sea turtles, however, are stopped by the grid and gently guided towards an escape opening, allowing them to swim away unharmed.

For conservationists, it offers a practical solution to one of the biggest causes of turtle mortality at sea. For fishermen, it promises a way to avoid the operational problems caused by large animals becoming trapped in their nets.

Despite its benefits, convincing fishermen to adopt the technology was not easy, according to MPEDA officials. Many initially feared that the escape opening would allow valuable shrimp and fish to escape, reducing their earnings.

To address these concerns, MPEDA launched a nationwide awareness campaign, conducting extensive field demonstrations and training programmes.

According to Anil Kumar P, Joint Director (Marketing), MPEDA, the authority has already conducted more than 30 field demonstrations and over 200 training sessions across the country.

“During the demos, it was found that only 3 per cent of the catch was getting excluded,” Anil Kumar said.

The demonstrations also revealed an unexpected advantage. The device prevents jellyfish, large plastic waste and other debris from entering the catch compartment. By filtering out unwanted material, TEDs reduce damage to nets, prevent shrimp from being crushed and improve the overall cleanliness and quality of the catch.

Fishers who participated in the trials reported better catch handling and improved market quality of shrimp, helping ease concerns over potential losses.

However, the cost of the TEDs remained another major obstacle to its adoption. Each TED, manufactured by CIFT-empanelled agencies, costs around ₹25,000, placing an additional burden on boat owners already grappling with rising operational expenses.

“Since each TED costs around ₹25,000, who will bear the cost of the devices was a question. But we are now trying to give 100% financial assistance to the fishermen who want to buy them through various central and state schemes, including the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana,” Anil Kumar explained.

Under the PMMSY scheme, funding is shared between governments, with 60 per cent contributed by the centre and 40 per cent by the state.

Legal backing across India's coastline
The push for TED adoption is no longer limited to awareness campaigns. In a reply in the Rajya Sabha, George Kurian, Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, said all coastal states and Union Territories had been directed to review their Marine Fisheries Regulation Acts (MFRAs) to incorporate mandatory TED usage.

As a result, all nine coastal states – Kerala, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal – have amended their fisheries laws to make TEDs compulsory.

The Union Territories of Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have gone a step further by banning bottom trawling altogether.

In Kerala, where TEDs were made mandatory for bottom trawls through a government notification issued in September 2019, authorities are now aiming for complete adoption within a year. The state's Fisheries Department has submitted a proposal worth ₹649.75 lakh to support the installation of TEDs in 2,599 trawlers.

As India seeks to balance conservation with commerce, the humble Turtle Excluder Device is emerging as a rare win-win solution. For endangered sea turtles, it could mean a better chance of survival. For fishermen, it could reduce operational hassles and improve catch quality. And for India's seafood industry, it may prove to be a crucial step toward securing certification for its shrimp fishery and reopening doors to valuable international markets.