State authorities have directed all fishing trawlers to install turtle excluder devices (TED)s in their nets in a bid to protect the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles and revive seafood exports to the US.
The move comes in response to a US embargo on import of wild-caught shrimp that has cost India approximately Rs 4,500 crore in the last five years.
The US Department of State suspended India’s certification under Section 609 of US Public Law 101-162, which prohibits shrimp imports from nations not using TEDs that meet National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration specifications.
TEDs are escape hatches in fishing nets that allow turtles to swim free while retaining the shrimp catch. “The device reduces turtle capture by 97% while only reducing prawn catch by 2%,” said Subhrakanta Mohapatra, state coordinator of Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA).
“Export of wild-caught shrimp to the US can only resume once India is certified following successful TED implementation across the country,” Mohapatra explained.
Odisha’s coastline, particularly the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary and Rushikulya beach, hosts 50% of the world’s Olive Ridley population during their annual nesting season.
The ban’s impact has been severe. India’s wild-caught shrimp exports plummeted from 153,286 MT in 2018-19 to 65,882 MT in 2023-24. The US market, which previously offered $9.87 per kilogram compared to $6.93 in other markets, accounted for 22% of India’s wild-caught shrimp export.
MPEDA is conducting workshops across the coastal region to train fishermen in TED usage. The initiative aims to protect the turtles that return to Odisha’s beaches each winter for nesting while reviving the crucial seafood export sector.
