Analysis of Sea Turtle Bycatch in the Commercial Shrimp Fisheries of Southeast U.S. Waters and the Gulf of Mexico

摘要

This report is organized by sections. We first provide estimates of fishing effort by shrimp trawls. Next we provide estimates of sea turtle CPUE in shrimp trawls and adjust those estimates with aerial survey data. Following those sections, we provide the results: estimates of the number of interactions, the number of interactions resulting in mortalities under current regulations, and the number of interactions which we expect will result in interactions once new TED regulations are enacted. We then discuss the potential for interactions in other gears and in the bait shrimp fisheries. Lastly, we provide the reader a summary discussion and make research recommendations.