TPO 37 Integrated Task

In this given set of materials, the focus of the passage is on the efficiency of an invention called TED, turtle excluder device, on solving the problem of when turtles get accidentally caught in fishing nets. The writer provides three reasons that such solution is not effective at all and criticizes it. On the other hand, the professor takes the opposing side and believes that TEDs are effective and should be vital to any fishing boats.

First and foremost, according to the fishers, the cost of the losing their catch on a daily basis is too high in comparison with the small chance of saving one turtle. To be more specific, every time the fishers cast the nets, a certain percentage of their catch manage to escape through the turtle passages. However, the professor disagrees. She notes that if thought collectively, for example 1000 fishers catch 1000 turtles each year, the impact would be huge on such turtle species let alone that their population is small already. Hence, she supports the idea of using TEDs.

Second, the writer puts forward an alternative to TEDs by noting that a specific time limit can be used. Nevertheless, the professor refutes by asserting that It is a good idea but just on paper. She points out that such idea cannot be enforced and monitored by an authority. Hence, using TEDs is easier to enforce and implement.

Last but not least, the professor rejects the third reason provided by the writer, not being effective for larger species of endangered sea turtles, by mentioning that It is not a problem to produce larger TEDs and they can be modified to serve such goal. Therein, she supports the idea of using TEDs.