Sara Stewart
Graduate student Sara Stewart joined the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management as a research assistant through a Texas Sea Grant-funded apprenticeship in the fall of 2022. Her research is evaluating the performance of two newly developed bycatch reduction devices in the Gulf of Mexico’s commercial shrimping industry.
“Bycatch is the accidental capture and discard of unwanted or prohibited animals by fishermen,” Stewart said. “This unintended catch often causes harm or death to animals due to contact with fishing vessels and gear.”
Additionally, bycatch creates negative economic and social consequences for fishermen and communities.
Bycatch reduction devices utilize features like escape vents, turtle excluder devices and sorting grids to reduce the amount of non-target aquatic species captured in trawl nets.
Currently, five bycatch reduction devices meet criteria established by the National Marine Fisheries Service, exhibiting a minimum bycatch reduction of 30% while maintaining high rates of shrimp retention.
“The Fisheye and Jones/Davis bycatch reduction devices are certified for use in the Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishery due to their successful reduction of red snapper bycatch,” Stewart said. “However, there is still room for improvement.”
Aside from bycatch, there are multiple challenges facing the Gulf of Mexico shrimp industry.
Stewart said fishermen are concerned with potential reductions in shrimp catch, the lower market price for the shrimp caused by the exponential increase in foreign shrimp entering the US market and increased fuel prices, which has ultimately impacted profits.
Her research will compare the effectiveness of the two new, bycatch reduction devices across the coastal areas of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. A maximum of 10 shrimping vessels will be selected and incentivized to carry out side-by-side comparative testing of the new gear against the current industry standard, the Fisheye.
Stewart said the data collected will help determine whether these new, industry-innovated devices have the potential to reduce shrimp industry bycatch by an additional 10% from the current device standard of 30%.
“The results of this study will provide valuable insights into the devices’ effectiveness in mitigating bycatch in the Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishery while also enabling policymakers, fishery managers and commercial shrimp fishermen to make informed decisions regarding the implementation of bycatch reduction devices,” Stewart said.
Stewart earned a bachelor's degree in earth and environmental sciences from the University of New Orleans and has 10 years of work experience in the Gulf of Mexico fisheries industry. In 2023, Stewart was awarded a scholarship from the Society for Underwater Technology. Additionally, she was selected to participate in the seventh cohort of Homeward Bound, a global leadership initiative for women in STEM.
