Pakistan has taken a significant step toward aligning its fisheries with global sustainability expectations by launching a Rs 90 million (approximately USD 320,000) program aimed at preventing the accidental capture of endangered sea turtles in shrimp trawling nets.
The initiative, led by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and announced by Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, seeks to balance two often conflicting goals: protecting marine biodiversity and restoring access to lucrative international seafood markets.
At the heart of the scheme lies the deployment of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) — specialized grid-type panels installed inside shrimp trawl nets. These grids allow larger marine creatures, including turtles, to escape the net before reaching the cod end, while permitting shrimp and other small target species to pass through. In effect, they reduce bycatch mortality without severely compromising catch volumes.
Under the plan, the government will distribute and install these TEDs free of charge for trawler operators, coupled with training programs and data collection efforts to monitor both their effectiveness and their impact on shrimp yield and net performance.
The project encompasses multiple components. First, it offers hands-on training and capacity-building for trawler crews: workshops, demonstrations, and onboard mentoring will help fishers adopt and maintain the TEDs properly.
Second, it includes a monitoring and evaluation framework to assess how the TEDs affect catch efficiency, net wear and tear, and bycatch reduction over time. Third, it plans to enforce high compliance rates: the minister has underscored that full adherence — “100 percent TED compliance” — will be strictly monitored, and non-compliance could risk export access under international traceability regimes.
Economically, the stakes are high. Currently, Pakistani shrimp fetches a modest price — about USD 2 per kilogram — constrained by doubts from importers over sustainability measures. But Chaudhry has suggested that, with robust TED adoption and internationally backed certification, that price might be pushed to as much as USD 6 per kilogram.
If such a margin materializes, it could transform the country’s shrimp export landscape. At present, Pakistan’s shrimp exports hover around USD 100 million annually, and the hope is that renewed market access, especially to the U.S., the EU, and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, could multiply both revenue and volume.
One key driver for the program is maintaining and expanding international certification and compliance. Earlier in 2025, the U.S. lifted a four-year embargo on Pakistani seafood following inspections that confirmed progress on marine mammal protection.
With the ban now removed, sustaining that access demands demonstrable, verifiable adherence to standards — especially concerning bycatch and endangered species protection. A failure to comply could jeopardize not only the U.S. market but also access to advanced markets in Europe and the Gulf, where sustainability standards are increasingly strict.
Globally, the use of TEDs is not new. In the U.S., shrimp harvested using fishing practices harmful to sea turtles may not be imported unless the exporting country adopts equivalent protective measures. This regulation originates from U.S. law (Public Law 101-162, Section 609), which prohibits the import of shrimp caught in nets that do not allow turtle escape, unless the exporting country is certified for comparable turtle protection programs.
According to NOAA, this requirement has been a central driver encouraging other nations to adopt turtle conservation measures. Moreover, modern TED designs have been refined to exclude more than 97 percent of turtles in controlled tests, while minimally affecting shrimp catches — though real-world performance can vary. (In practice, debris, net fouling, or improper installation sometimes reduce effectiveness.)
Critically, the global shrimp trade has long been linked with turtle protection issues. An estimated 150,000 sea turtles are incidentally caught each year in shrimp trawl nets worldwide, many drowning when trapped underwater, since turtles must surface to breathe. In earlier decades, various countries resisted mandatory TED use, even challenging U.S. import laws as trade restrictions.
One notable episode occurred in the 1990s when certain nations argued before the World Trade Organization (WTO) that requiring TEDs for shrimp imports constituted an unfair trade constraint. The WTO ultimately ruled that the U.S. must allow exemptions on a shipment-by-shipment basis or face compensation claims, effectively limiting the rigidity of enforcement. Nevertheless, many nations adopted TED use over time to meet import requirements and conserve marine fauna.
In the U.S. itself, multifaceted regulations have evolved. TEDs have been mandatory in many shrimp trawl fisheries since 1987. The rules specify designs, installations, and bycatch handling protocols, and increasingly, enforcement includes observer programs and compliance audits.
In some cases, exemption is granted to very small vessels or those using alternative gear types, though the primary goal remains reducing sea turtle mortality. The U.S. regulations also recognize that devices must be carefully maintained and monitored; a TED that’s blocked or improperly installed effectively becomes useless.
Back in Pakistan, successful execution of the Rs 90 million project will hinge on a few crucial challenges. One is convincing fishers to accept a device that may slightly reduce shrimp catch or require more careful gear handling. To address that, the government’s inclusion of hands-on training and real-time data showing minimal shrimp loss is essential.
Another is long-term enforcement: ensuring that TEDs remain functional, are not tampered with, and are broadly used requires consistent inspections, audits, and penalties for non-compliance. Also, monitoring is critical — if data reveal unanticipated negative effects (such as net wear, reduced catch in certain zones, or clogging by debris), the program must adapt quickly.
If successful, the project could yield multiple wins: fewer endangered turtles lost to fishing, improved international market access for Pakistani shrimp, higher export revenues, and enhanced credibility as a sustainable seafood supplier.
But failure or lax compliance could risk losing recent gains including U.S. market access and cast doubt on Pakistan’s claims of marine stewardship. In this sense, the initiative is not just about conservation, but about certifying Pakistan’s future as a player in premium global seafood markets.