Our captains work hard to ensure they are following rules and regulations set by NOAA Fisheries and The Division of Marine Fisheries to reduce bycatch.

Rules and regulations include those surrounding when and where boats can shrimp, length of head rope, etc. 

Two bycatch reduction devices (or BRDs) are fish excluder devices (FEDs) and turtle excluder devices (TEDs).

A TED is a grid of bars with an opening either at the top or the bottom of the trawl net. The grid is fitted into the neck of a shrimp trawl.  Small animals such as shrimp pass through the bars and are caught in the bag end of the trawl. When larger animals, such as sea turtles and sharks, are captured in the trawl, they meet the grid bars and are directed out of the net through the opening. 

A FED is a square pyramid shaped device that provides a hole for fish to escape through. These FEDs are placed back in the tail bag of the net so that fish who are small enough to advance through the metal grid of the TED have another place to escape. 

NOAA Fisheries gear experts continue to work with the shrimp fishing industry to develop new and effective ways to reduce bycatch.