Bycatch Reduction

Bycatch is unwanted marine creatures that are caught in the nets while fishing for another species.

According to Terry Smith, the National Marine Fisheries Service's (NMFS) liaison to Sea Grant, bycatch ranks among the top three issues in fisheries management in the world (Smith, 2006). In the Gulf of Mexico, 3 pounds of bycatch are reportedly caught for every 1 pound of shrimp. The bycatch problem creates a platform on which to establish common ground: in spite of diverse values and conflicting agendas, all groups involved want to reduce catches of non-target species. For example, devices to reduce bycatch not only address unnecessary mortality of fish and invertebrates, but they also produce better quality shrimp. With fewer animals and less debris in the net, shrimp are less likely to become bruised or damaged. Fewer non-target species in the net also means less time and labor spent sorting the catch.

The shrimp industry in Georgia has changed dramatically in recent years and cannot be compared to the industry of the 1980s and 1990s. Many shrimpers explain that it is now more important than ever to focus on quality, not only on quantity. With lower prices largely caused by imported shrimp as a consistent and eminent threat to local livelihoods, commercial shrimpers want to be pro-active in resolving ongoing conservation issues within their fishery. Public and media pressure to address bycatch concerns is not new, however, and many shrimpers' reactions to the negative attention is surprising. Instead of redirecting blame towards other fisheries or countries, local shrimpers have come to understand that their fishery may be on its last leg and they are willing to make sacrifices now to prevent a crisis. Life-long shrimpers understand the ocean as a dynamic and complicated environment and many have expressed an interest in ecosystem-based management.






Sinkey Boone, inventor of the original turtle excluding grid, is testing a new design. This TED, called the Georgia Jumper Big Boy was developed specifically to easily exclude endangered leatherback sea turtles, and to reduce stress as all sea turtles escape.

This adaptation is also designed to reduce bycatch of finfish, sharks and rays, and ecologically important invertebrates such as horseshoe crabs.








The Big Boy TED (left) and the Double Cover TED (right) were compared in simultaneous tows on the R/V Georgia Bulldog. The scientists and crew quantified bycatch composition and biomass, as well as shrimp harvest.







Three generations of Boones count shrimp. Sinkey, grandson Brian, and son Howell work together to quantify bycatch and shrimp retention in the new TED design.

This catch comes from a 45 minute long tow the nets fished simultaneously. The Double Cover is on the right in this picture, the Big Boy is on the left.

The Big Boy's narrow bar spacing and giant opening shows great potential. However, many many more tows will be needed before we can determine if the results are significant. For more information, please email Lisa Liguori at liguori@uga.edu

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