Assessing Trawl Fishery Impacts for Tropical Shrimp Exported to the EU

Tropical shrimp trawl fishing is one of the fisheries that generates the highest levels of bycatch, especially of marine turtles, which are protected and vulnerable species. Since 1989, the United States has required the use of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) as a condition of market access, whereas the European Union has no equivalent regulation. The EU therefore represents an alternative market for shrimp coming from unsustainable fisheries.

This work consisted of estimating marine turtle bycatch (CPUE) in tropical shrimp fisheries from five countries exporting to the EU: India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Madagascar and Mozambique. These countries were selected based on the volume of tropical shrimp exported to the EU and the absence, or weak implementation, of regulations aimed at reducing marine turtle captures. The study relied on the compilation and harmonization of bibliographic data (scientific papers, FAO and Eurostat). Catch per unit effort (CPUE) was used to extrapolate the number of turtles captured according to fleet size and export volumes, with or without the hypothetical presence of Turtle Excluder Devices.

The results indicate very different orders of magnitude between countries. India stands out with more than two million turtles potentially captured each year by a fleet of 30,000 trawlers, a much higher impact than the other countries. Bangladesh, Madagascar and Mozambique show estimates ranging from several hundred to a few thousand turtles per year, while Vietnam has lower but still concerning values. The main EU importers of tropical shrimp from these unsustainable fisheries are Belgium, France and the Netherlands.

Although based on estimates constrained by limited data availability, these results highlight the need for a European regulation. Such a measure would significantly reduce marine turtle mortality while ensuring fairer competition between sectors.