The goal is to keep catching scallops — without harming the ocean's majestic sea turtles. And the solution, while it might seem simple, has taken years to test and refine.
Scallop dredges work the sea floor, where the slow-moving turtles often feed on crabs and scallops. And the equipment, particularly in the mid-Atlantic region of the Eastern seaboard, inadvertently snags the turtles.
In previous encounters with the scallop fleet, the turtles usually came off second best, says Ron Smolowitz of the nonprofit Coonamessett Farm Foundation in East Falmouth, which has led the research into the new gear with funding from the sea scallop industry and the National Marine Fisheries Service.
Recent studies supported by satellite tracking have estimated that as many as 800,000 loggerheads live in the northwest Atlantic Ocean, according to CFF figures. Scientists estimate that more than 750 loggerheads were caught by scallop draggers in 2003, with more than half of them suffering injuries.
The new gear, known as a turtle deflector dredge, has evolved over several years. Smolowitz said it has been proven effective after extensive testing.
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