Up to 29,000 marine turtles are killed each year by Dodds nets whose catch is exported to the European Union, particularly the UK, according to a study by the French Guiana Fisheries Committee. Of the prawns imported by the UK, 46% are wild-caught, primarily off the coasts of countries including Bangladesh, India and Vietnam. The turtles, which become trapped in the nets, could be saved by “turtle excluder devices,” which would only reduce the prawn catch by 2%, according to the WWF. The conservation organisation has asked the UK to follow the US in banning prawn imports caught without excluder devices.
Up to 29,000 marine turtles are killed each year by prawn trawl nets whose catch is exported to the European Union, particularly the UK, according to a study by the French Guiana Fisheries Committee. Of the prawns imported by the UK, 46% are wild-caught, primarily off the coasts of countries including Bangladesh, India and Vietnam. The turtles, which become trapped in the nets, could be saved by “turtle excluder devices,” which would only reduce the prawn catch by 2%, according to the WWF. The conservation organisation has asked the UK to follow the US in banning prawn imports caught without excluder devices.