Port Blair: In a landmark step towards sustainable marine fisheries and sea turtle conservation, the Andaman & Nicobar Islands have successfully installed the first-ever Turtle Excluder Device (TED) in a pelagic trawl net operating in the Islands’ waters, ushering in a new era of responsible fishing practices. The milestone follows the enforcement of the Andaman & Nicobar Marine Fishing Rules (Amendment), 2025, under which the installation of Turtle Excluder Devices has been made mandatory for all pelagic trawl nets operating in the Islands.
According to the Department of Fisheries, the first TED has been fitted in the pelagic trawler IND-AN-SA-MM-2527. The device was procured from an ICAR–Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (ICAR-CIFT)-empanelled manufacturer and approved by the Department of Fisheries under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India.
The installation was carried out with technical support from the Fishery Survey of India (FSI), Sri Vijaya Puram. The team comprised Dr. C. Babu, Fisheries Scientist; Mr. Puran Singh, Senior Scientific Assistant, FSI Sri Vijaya Puram Base; and Mr. Hemanto Kirtonia, Incharge of the Fish Landing Centre, Junglighat.
A Turtle Excluder Device is a specially engineered grid fitted inside trawl nets that allows endangered sea turtles and other large marine animals to escape while retaining the commercial fish catch. Fisheries officials said the technology is expected to significantly reduce the accidental capture of threatened marine species, strengthening efforts to conserve the rich marine biodiversity of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Apart from its ecological benefits, the TED is also expected to improve the quality of fish landings by preventing large unwanted organisms and marine debris from entering the nets, while having little or no impact on shrimp catches. Officials noted that widespread adoption of the device will also help local fishers comply with national and international fisheries conservation standards, enhancing the export potential of fish and fishery products.
The initiative is also aimed at promoting greater awareness among the fishing community about responsible fishing practices, sustainable fisheries management and the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.
The mandatory installation of TEDs is being implemented with 100 per cent Central assistance under the Centrally Sponsored Component of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) as a non-beneficiary activity, enabling the Department to roll out this important conservation measure across the Islands’ pelagic fishing fleet.
