This project would perform outreach, research, and development related to turtle excluder devices (teds) within the offshore longfin squid fishery of the greater atlantic region

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded Cornell Cooperative Extension Association of Suffolk County (doing business as CCE Suffolk) a $226,780 Cooperative Agreement on June 1, 2026, under the Cooperative Research Program (CFDA 11.472) to conduct outreach, research, and development of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) in the offshore longfin squid fishery of the Greater Atlantic Region.

CCE Suffolk will test two TEDs adapted for the offshore bottom trawl fishery, which operates with larger vessels and gear handling significantly higher squid volumes than the inshore fishery where initial TED trials have been conducted. The project includes a virtual workshop to educate the commercial longfin squid fishing community on TEDs and potential upcoming regulations, with input collection from fishermen on device designs. At-sea testing will occur across ten days of research fishing activity in the Hudson Canyon area, with the commercial fishing partner vessel equipped with twin-hydraulic net reels enabling direct comparison study. CCE will complete nine one-hour tows each day, totaling 90 tows throughout the project. The research is intended to determine whether TEDs are viable and suitable options before consideration in regulatory mandates.

Performance runs from June 1, 2026, through November 30, 2027, with work performed in Riverhead, New York. The Cooperative Research Program facilitates partnerships between the fishing industry, fishermen, and federal and university scientists to collect fundamental fisheries information for single species, multispecies, and ecosystem assessment models.

This proposed project would complement and expand upon current research conducted by cornell cooperative extension of suffolk county (CCE) to test two teds in the inshore atlantic longfin squid bottom trawl fishery off long island, new york. This project would adapt the teds to the offshore fishery. The offshore longfin squid fishery differs greatly from the inshore fishery, as the vessels and gear are typically much larger, with an increased volume of squid caught. This research is necessary in understanding the year-round longfin fishery to determine if teds are a viable option and suitable before considered regulations are brought into mandate. A virtual workshop would be held to educate the commercial longfin squid fishing community on teds and potential upcoming regulations. This workshop would also collect input from commercial fishermen about the designs to be used in the at-sea research component. The researchers would test the teds in the offshore bottom trawl fishery across ten days of research fishing activity within the hudson canyon area. The projects commercial fishing partner vessel is equipped with twin-hydraulic net reels, allowing for a direct comparison study. CCE would complete nine, one-hour tows each day, completing 90 tows throughout the entirety of the project.