Chennai: The US ban on importing wild-caught shrimp from India has severely impacted the livelihoods of many fishers. According to India’s status report on conservation and trade policies concerning marine mammals and turtles, the country has suffered a significant decline in wild-caught shrimp exports, losing USD 500 million since the ban was implemented in 2019.
The US imposed this ban based on its law prohibiting the import of wild-caught shrimp from commercial fisheries that harm sea turtles. Fishing gear, such as trawls, often catch sea turtles incidentally along with fish. Representatives from 11 countries in the Bay of Bengal region discussed this issue at a global forum in Chennai on the conservation of marine mammals and sea turtles.
The report revealed that India has finalised two designs of the Turtle Excluder Device (TED) to be fitted in trawl nets, in line with the technical requirements of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), USA. The NOAA has approved one of these designs for implementation in India, as it allows sea turtles caught accidentally to escape. The next step is to promote the use of TED among fishers nationwide. Widespread adoption of TEDs is expected to substantially reduce sea turtle mortality.
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To achieve this, India has developed trained personnel to demonstrate the TED designs to fishers. Field demonstrations are currently taking place across all maritime states to raise awareness among stakeholders about the importance of using TED, the report added.
Meanwhile, marine scientists presenting the report highlighted another emerging challenge: the need to develop an appropriate regulatory programme for conserving marine mammals, such as whales, dolphins, porpoises, and dugongs, in compliance with the US Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). India must also reduce the bycatch of these marine mammals in fishing operations; otherwise, the US could halt the export of all wild-caught items.
The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) under the Department of Commerce, Government of India, the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), and the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT), both institutions under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), presented the report. They confirmed that India had submitted the ‘Comparability Finding Application’ (CFA) to the US under NOAA standards.
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Indian marine scientists at the meeting argued that the country’s fishers already use indigenous methods to reduce marine mammal-fisheries interactions, noting that traditional beliefs among Indian fishers often lead to the protection of turtles.
The Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO) hosted the meeting with support from ICAR-CMFRI and MPEDA. The forum aimed to address the challenges India faces in meeting US trade obligations under the MMPA and similar regulations for sea turtles. Additionally, the report noted that Indian waters have recorded an estimated abundance, bycatch, and bycatch limit for 22 marine mammal species for the first time. Seven species showed no bycatch, while the bycatch for all other species remained within acceptable limits for export fisheries listed in the CFA. A total of 32 marine mammal species have been documented in Indian waters.
The US enacted the MMPA, which requires that fish exported to the US must be caught in a way that does not result in excessive incidental mortality or serious injury to marine mammals. To continue exporting fish and fish products to the US, India must submit the CFA.
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Currently, a joint research initiative on marine mammal stock assessment is underway, supported by the Department of Fisheries, Government of India, CMFRI, the Fishery Survey of India (FSI), and ICAR-CIFT. The forum emphasised the need for regional collaboration, potentially led by India, to enhance research and conservation efforts. It proposed creating a network of research organisations and management institutions across the region to strengthen marine mammal and turtle conservation while supporting sustainable fisheries.
Dr. K Arulananthan from the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA), Sri Lanka; Dr. Grinson George, Director of CMFRI; and Dr. Karthikeyan, Director of MPEDA participated in the discussion. Dr. P Krishnan, Director of BOBP-IGO, provided an overview of the meeting’s purpose and context.
