Seatuck works to protect Long Island’s diverse wildlife, including Diamondback Terrapins! These aquatic turtles are attracted to bait in crab pots and when they swim into a pot, they become trapped. Drowning in crab pots is one of the top three reasons for terrapin mortality.
We met and filmed with a long-time fisherman/crabber/waterman who has made a simple change to help stop unnecessary terrapin deaths. He has made a Terrapin Excluder Device (TED) that is low tech, inexpensive and easy to install. TED’s prevent turtles from entering the crab pot and reduce their mortality by 70%.
Now TED’s are required by New York State DEC. We love when a film we make moves the needle on environmental policy. And when it happens to save the lives of many a turtle, we are even more stoked!
