turtle in the trawl
from Earth Island's video TEDs: Turtle Excluder Devices
This is such a grave threat to families Cheloniidae and Dermochelyidae that I will say it again:
Or rather, getting caught in the shrimp nets. Because turtles are reptiles, they are not fish; they cannot breathe underwater. They need to come to the surface to breath. And once caught in a shrimp net, they drown if the net is not brought above the water. 150,000 turtles die each year from ensnarement in shrimp nets. 150,000. I ask you: is this fair?
It's not, because each of those 150,000 turtle deaths can be prevented. It's very simple. It's inexpensive to buy, easy to install, and easy to maintain. It's called a TED: a Turtle Excluder Device. A boxlike contraption inserted in the side (or bottom) of the shrimp net allows the trapped turtle to escape with her life, while leaving all the shrimp still in the net to be eaten.
And since being alive is
what is important
let's all use TEDs
So you see, shrimp trawling does not have to be a threat to
sea turtles. But as of this second, it is. So don't eat shrimp
unless it's certified TURTLE-SAFE by Earth Island's Sea
Turtle Restoration Project. Even if you love shrimp.
It's a sacrifice.
It's saving our Earth.
