Protecting turtles while supporting coastal livelihoods
Fisheries accidentally kill more sea turtles worldwide than any other human activity except habitat loss. An estimated 250,000 turtles are caught in fishing gear each year. Yet fishing communities are not the enemy of conservation, they are essential partners. MTF works alongside artisanal and commercial fishers in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Florida to adopt practices that protect turtles while maintaining viable livelihoods.
TEDs allow turtles to escape trawl nets safely
Reducing lethal longline bycatch by up to 90%
Co-management & seasonal fishing closures
Bycatch, the accidental capture of non-target species in fishing gear, is the leading direct cause of sea turtle mortality globally. Shrimp trawlers, longline vessels, and gillnet operations from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific coast of Central America all pose significant risks. Loggerheads and leatherbacks are particularly vulnerable to longline hooks, while green turtles frequently become entangled in gillnets set near seagrass feeding grounds.
Many fishers do not want to catch turtles. Gear is often designed for efficiency with target species in mind, and turtles become collateral damage. The solutions are technical, economic, and social at the same time. Gear modifications reduce harm, but fishers need access to the right equipment, training to use it correctly, and assurance that conservation measures will not destroy their livelihoods.
TEDs are metal grids installed in the neck of shrimp trawl nets that allow shrimp to pass through into the collection bag while directing larger animals, including sea turtles, out through an escape opening. When properly installed and maintained, TEDs reduce turtle capture by 97% without significantly reducing shrimp catch. MTF provides TEDs free of charge to fishing cooperatives in Quintana Roo and trains crews on proper installation and maintenance.
Enforcement matters as much as equipment. A TED that is pinned shut or removed at sea provides no protection at all. Our teams work with cooperatives and regulators to make compliance the norm rather than the exception, and we follow up with port inspections and peer accountability within fishing communities.
Traditional J-hooks used in longline fisheries are often swallowed by turtles, causing internal injuries that are frequently fatal. Circle hooks, by contrast, are designed to catch in the corner of the mouth, making release safer for accidentally hooked turtles. Switching from squid to mackerel bait further reduces turtle attraction to hooks. Our Costa Rica program has distributed circle hook kits to over 200 longline fishers operating out of Puntarenas and Quepos.
In many coastal communities, fishing is the primary source of income, and fishers possess intimate knowledge of local waters, turtle movements, and seasonal patterns. MTF's community co-management model brings fishers into conservation planning rather than imposing regulations from outside. Seasonal fishing closures during peak turtle migration, gear exchange programs, and alternative livelihood training in eco-tourism guiding and aquaculture help communities transition toward sustainability without sacrificing economic security.
On the Riviera Maya, fishing cooperatives along the coast coordinate with our Tulum and Xcacel teams to share information about turtle sightings and agree on voluntary closures in known migration periods. These local agreements work because they are built on trust and mutual interest, not because an outside authority simply imposed rules from above.
Your seafood choices matter. Look for Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification, ask restaurants and markets about their sourcing practices, and support fisheries that use TEDs and circle hooks. Reduce overall seafood consumption to ease pressure on ocean ecosystems. Every purchase is a vote for the kind of fishing industry we want to support, one that can coexist with sea turtles rather than compete with them.