Certified Turtle-Safe Shrimp Workshop
Teri Shore
Sea Turtle Restoration Project, Earth Island Institute, P.O. Box 400, Forest Knolls, CA 94933, USA (E-mail: turtlesafe@earthisland.org)
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Certified Turtle-Safe Shrimp Workshop
Teri Shore
Sea Turtle Restoration Project, Earth Island Institute, P.O. Box 400, Forest Knolls, CA 94933, USA (E-mail: turtlesafe@earthisland.org)
On the 5th of March, 1998, as part of the 18th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation in Mazatlan, Mexico, about 20 participants gathered for an additional meeting regarding the latest progress of the Earth Island Certified Turtle-Safe Shrimp program. This is the first independent certification program for seafood, an eco-labelling plan new to many of the international participants. Workshop participants viewed a short slide show and then engaged in a lively discussion about this innovative, market-based approach to sea turtle conservation. Presenters included Teri Shore, Turtle-Safe Shrimp Campaigner; Todd Steiner, Director of the Sea Turtle Restoration Project (STRP), and Randall Arauz, STRP Central American Director.
In an overview, Shore explained that in two short years, the program has expanded to include 125 vessels that supply 3 million pounds of certified turtle-safe shrimp annually. She said that the program is effective because it rewards responsible shrimpers who use turtle excluder devices and allow Earth Island Institute to inspect their vessels. In addition, it is a voluntary program and the fishers pay no fee to participate. During the past year, three major retailers and several smaller stores in the USA began to offer and promote the shrimp, using the certified turtle-safe logo to market the product. Dozens of top restaurants in the USA feature this shrimp on their menus.
In a new twist, New England Aquarium in Boston is reviewing a proposal by diver Sherrie Floyd to feed this shrimp to its collection of sea turtles. Floyd, who attended the workshop, explained that shrimp is a major part of the diet fed to these turtles, and she wants to make sure it is turtle-safe. Arauz explained that this program creates a positive relationship between fishers and conservationists. He also said he had been talking to shrimpers in Central America about joining the program. In response to a question about why Earth Island does not certify aquaculture shrimp, Steiner explained that this method often destroys coastal habitats where sea turtles nest, forage and migrate and, therefore, is not turtle-safe. Finally, Sinkey Boone, inventor of one of the first turtle excluder devices,-the Georgia Jumper-answered questions about how TEDs work. For more information, contact Sea Turtle Restoration Project or view the initiative's web site: