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MARINE TURTLES, A PROJECT IN COLLABORATION WITH CAJA MADRID
Reduction of accidental captures of marine turtles in dragging nets: Turtle Excluder Devices (TED).
For many years, systems of selectivity have been developed in different parts of the world to be applied to arts of dragging, with the aim of reducing the mortality of marine turtles. The more extended are the Turtle Excluder Devices (TED). These tools consist of a grid of bars that diverts the turtles captured in the dragging nets towards an opening that is situated in the top or inferior of the net.
Due to the difference of size between the turtles and the sought species, when placing these grids in the front part of the codend of the net, the sought species are perfectly captured whereas the turtles can swim free. It has been proved that their use can get to decrease even 97% of the captures of turtles in the nets. Besides, the TED's are also beneficial when preventing the captures of other species, as sharks and stripes that are not the goal of that fishery.
In the last years the increase of incidental captures of turtles due to this type of fishing has been remarkable in the entire Spanish Mediterranean coast. At the Foundation CRAM we have seen a considerable increase on the number of turtles that arrive to the center because of the dragging, up to of 31% in the last 5 years, most of the animals coming from the Delta del Ebro.
Up to the moment, the systems for the reduction of incidental captures of turtles in dragging nets have not been tested in Spain and their application could have highly positive effects for the conservation of this species. Because of that, the CRAM Foundation suggests to evaluate these tools and to create a pilot experience that will study the use of TED's by trawling boats in the area of the Delta of Ebro.
During this time the rate of sought species caught using these devices will be valued as well as the decrease in the number of incidental captures of turtle. We planned to accomplish the goals of the project in two phases. In the first phase an exhaustive documentation about the different models of TED's used in the world and the characteristics of our dragging fisheries will be compiled in order to design a model adapted to these nets. For that, a commission of Spanish dragging 's fisherman will be created, providing their knowledge for the design of the prototype. The second phase will consist of the testing of the pilot device in a trawling vessel in the Delta of Ebro. This second phase will be carried out in the months of winter, when the rate of captures of turtles in that area is higher.
