The battle illustrates not only the political problems so common in fishery management, but also how difficult it is to devise technical solutions. They believe they have several devices that will work. But politically they are far from getting them installed. The shrimping industry, which has more boats and makes more money than any other fishery in the Gulf, lost a long and bitter fight in the 1980s when the government required boats to pull turtle excluder devices to save endangered sea turtles. Shrimpers harbor bitter resentment of the federal government because of TEDs, which allow shrimp to escape the trawls along with the turtles, cost money and are generally a hassle.
Shrimpers see by-catch reduction devices as TEDs all over again.
Managers are well aware of the hostility. They're trying to put us out of business with this, that's clear,'' said Jacko Darda, a Lafitte offshore shrimper. Scientists and fish managers are firmly behind the devices, but the shrimping industry has powerful friends in Congress. In 1990 they postponed any BRD program for four years so more study could be done. That set back the recovery of the snapper population by years, Goodyear said.