Helping Diamondback Terrapin turtles is easier than ever thanks to Tuckerton Seaport’s latest initiative.

Tuckerton Seaport is giving away free bycatch reduction devices (also known as BRDs), which help prevent these endangered turtles from getting caught in crab traps.  The same baits that lure crabs in can also attract these turtles. As a result, more than 14,000 terrapins drown in commercial and recreational crab traps along the New Jersey coast annually. As part of the MATES project, Tuckerton is providing these devices free of charge – which can save thousands of lives.

The small device, which was developed right here in SJ by Dr. Roger Wood of Stockton University and the Wetlands Institute in the late 1990s, helps to keep turtles out while keeping your catch in.

For more information on where to get a BD or make your own, visit Project Terrapin.