THE SHRIMPING INDUSTRY’S IMPACT ON KEMP’S RIDLEY SEA TURTLES IS AT AN ALL-TIME LOW, ACCORDING TO A RECENT STUDY BY FISHERIES MANAGEMENT EXPERT BENNY GALLAWAY, ONE OF THE PRESENTERS AT THE INTERNATIONAL KEMP’S RIDLEY SEA TURTLE SYMPOSIUM THAT TOOK PLACE IN BROWNSVILLE NOV. 18-19.
AT THE SAME TIME, THE NUMBER OF TURTLES DYING DUE TO RUN-INS WITH SHRIMPING VESSELS HAS RISEN — BUT ONLY BECAUSE THERE ARE MORE KEMP’S RIDLEY OUT THERE THAN IN THE PAST, HE SAID IN AN INTERVIEW DURING THE SYMPOSIUM. “THE POPULATION IS HUGE COMPARED TO WHAT IT WAS,” SAID GALLAWAY, PRESIDENT OF LGL ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATES INC. “THERE ARE MORE OF THEM — A LOT MORE.”
THE REBOUND IN POPULATION WAS DUE TO HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL CONSERVATION EFFORTS TO SAVE THE SPECIES, INCLUDING A FEDERAL MANDATE THAT TURTLE EXCLUDER DEVICES (TEDS) BE INSTALLED ON SHRIMP TRAWLERS. ALSO, THE GULF SHRIMP FLEET HAS SHRUNK. THE BAD NEWS IS THAT THE KEMP’S RIDLEY NESTING IS ONCE AGAIN IN SHARP DECLINE, FOR REASONS RESEARCHERS ARE STILL PUZZLING OVER. THIS DECLINE, WHICH BEGAN AFTER THE DEEPWATERHORIZONGULF OIL SPILL IN 2010, WAS THE FOCUS OF THE SYMPOSIUM. AMID ALL THE BAD NEWS AT THE GATHERING, GALLAWAY, WHOSE STUDY EXAMINED ALL THE POSSIBLE REASONS BEHIND THE DECLINE, AT LEAST HAD GOOD NEWS FOR THE SHRIMPING INDUSTRY: IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT.
ANDREA HANCE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE TEXAS SHRIMP ASSOCIATION, SAID IT’S A FACT OFTEN AT ODDS WITH A PUBLIC PERCEPTION THAT HISTORICALLY EQUATES SHRIMPING WITH DEAD SEA TURTLES. THE PERCEPTION WAS JUSTIFIED ONCE, BUT NOT SINCE TEDS BECAME MANDATORY, SHE SAID. “WERE SHRIMPERS KILLING TURTLES BEFORE TEDS? YES. THE PROBLEM IS PEOPLE HAVEN’T HEARD THE NEW INFORMATION,” HANCE SAID. “EVERYTHING IS 15 YEARS AGO. THERE’S A BIG MISCONCEPTION, WHICH IS ONE OF THE HURDLES THAT I’M TRYING TO OVERCOME. WE’VE HAD THESE NUMBERS FOR A WHILE. WE JUST DON’T REALLY HAVE THE AVENUES OR THE VOICE TO LET PEOPLE KNOW.”
GARY GRAHAM, TEXAS SEA GRANT’S MARINE FISHERIES SPECIALIST, SAID THE KEMP’S RIDLEY’S COMEBACK WAS THANKS IN LARGE PART TO TEDS BUT ALSO TO CONSERVATION EFFORTS TO PROTECT THE GULF BEACHES IN THE MEXICAN STATE OF TAMAULIPAS THAT ARE THE SPECIES’ PRINCIPAL NESTING GROUND. “THEY GO HAND IN HAND,” HE SAID.
Steve Clark
