One of the most serious threats to endangered sea turtles is commercial fishing for shrimp. Fortunately in the late 1960s, a commercial shrimp fisherman from Georgia named Sinkey Boone invented a device that attaches to the net and allows turtles and other non-target species and debris to escape.
In 1989, the United States passed the "Shrimp-Turtle Law" requiring all countries that export shrimp to the United States to use Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs). Easier said than done.
Though TEDs are inexpensive and easy to use, many commercial fishers are afraid that using the devices will reduce their catch of shrimp. Some do not understand how to use them properly, or simply choose to ignore the regulation. In some waters, sea turtles may not be present and fishers resent having to purchase and install the devices.
Costa Rica, despite having the strongest environmental and animal protection laws in Central America, is no exception in facing these challenges.
When TEDs were first tested in Costa Rica, testers invented a modified version called the Tico TED (Costa Ricans are known as Ticos) that expanded the spaces between the bars on the TED from 4 to 6 inches. Studies proved that this new Tico TED was equally effective in allowing sea turtles to escape while having much less chance of being clogged by branches and other debris in the waters off the coast of Costa Rica. The United States granted Costa Rica permission for using the modified Tico TED in the year 2000.
The United States enforces the Shrimp-Turtle Law by performing inspections which are announced ahead of time, giving the fishers a chance to install the devices before the inspectors arrive. In spite of having their own custom-made TEDs, shrimp from Costa Rica have been embargoed by the United States three times in six years (May 1999, August 2003, and May 2005) for not using TEDs. Clearly, enforcement continues to be a problem.
If Costa Rica, a leader in environmental protection, is failing to use these devices to protect sea turtles in compliance, other countries are likely doing the same. The unwelcome conclusion: thousands of sea turtles (along with other non-threatened, non-target species) continue to die in commercial shrimping nets.
What You Can Do
You can help by telling the fisheries department of the government of Costa Rica to enforce the use of TEDs in their shrimp fisheries. Send an email to Dr. Marvin Mora at INCOPESCA. 
