Pakistan, Oct. 10 -- Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry has announced the launch of a Rs90 million initiative aimed at protecting sea turtles during shrimp trawling operations, as part of broader efforts to sustain marine biodiversity and ensure the long-term health of ocean resources.

The minister, in a statement on Thursday, said the project includes the distribution and installation of standardised Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) at no cost to fishermen, alongside capacity-building workshops, hands-on training for trawler crews, and data collection to monitor the devices' impact on shrimp catch efficiency and net performance.

A TED is a specialised mechanism fitted into shrimp trawl nets that allows s...