2004
NEWS ARCHIVE
Information
About TEDs & BRDs Offered Online
July 12, 2004
Since they were first
developed, Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) and Bycatch Reduction
Devices (BRDs), and the laws governing their use have changed
several times. Although commercial shrimpers use both as required
in their trawl nets, many have had difficulty finding all of the
information necessary to comply with the laws associated with
their use. Louisiana Sea Grant has added a new section to its
fisheries Web site to address this need. At www.seagrantfish.lsu.edu,
an entire section, reviewed by the National Marine Fisheries Service
(NOAA Fisheries) and approved for publication, has been added.
The new section includes
diagrams with dimensions for all approved TEDs and BRDs used in
Gulf of Mexico or South Atlantic waters, background and identification
information on sea turtles, and links to many official sites with
additional TEDs and BRDs information. Basic questions about the
gear are answered in an easy to understand Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQ) format, and archives of official documents provide background
on the evolution of the TEDs and BRDs laws as well as issues surrounding
their use. The new section was funded in part by a grant from
the Gulf and South Atlantic Fisheries Foundation.
Because NOAA Fisheries
continues to study the effectiveness associated with the use of
TEDs and BRDs, changes in the laws or approved designs are probable
in the future. Through this Web site, Louisiana Sea Grant will
make every effort to provide the most current information.
Louisiana Sea Grant’s
fisheries Web site is a resource for commercial and recreational
fishers and all those interested in fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico
and South Atlantic regions. It includes information about many
aquatic species, artificial reefs, gear, habitat, aquaculture,
legal and socioeconomic issues surrounding state and regional
fisheries.
Directions
to information on TEDs and BRDs on the internet: At http://www.seagrantfish.lsu.edu,
go to the Management Information section, scroll down under Gear
Info to Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) and Bycatch Reduction Devices
(BRDs) and click. Or visit the following link: http://www.seagrantfish.lsu.edu/management/TEDs&BRDs/index.htm
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