🌊 Marine Animal Welfare 2025

Bycatch, plastic entanglement, aquaculture welfare, ocean acidification — the state of welfare for the billions of animals in Earth's oceans

The oceans contain the vast majority of Earth's animal biomass — trillions of fish, billions of marine mammals, vast invertebrate populations. Yet marine animal welfare remains poorly studied, inadequately regulated, and largely invisible to welfare advocates focused on land animals. This overview covers the key marine welfare issues of 2025.
~1T
Wild fish caught annually
40%
Of fishing catch is bycatch (discarded)
8M tons
Plastic entering oceans annually
50%
Marine mammals affected by entanglement or ingestion

Bycatch: The Hidden Welfare Crisis

Approximately 40% of marine catch — roughly 40 million metric tons annually — consists of non-target species (bycatch) that are discarded, often dead or dying. This includes sea turtles, dolphins, sharks, seabirds, and billions of non-target fish. Bycatch represents one of the largest sources of animal suffering in the marine environment — affecting species ranging from critically endangered sea turtles to abundant but suffering non-target fish. Solutions include: more selective gear, area closures, turtle excluder devices, acoustic deterrents, and reducing overall fishing pressure.

Plastic Entanglement and Ingestion

Marine plastic causes measurable suffering for marine animals through entanglement, ingestion, and chemical contamination. An estimated 50% of marine mammal species have been affected by plastic entanglement or ingestion. Sea turtles, seabirds, and fish are also heavily affected. Plastic entanglement causes drowning, lacerations, and slow starvation. Ingestion of microplastics causes internal damage and nutritional disruption. Individual animals experience significant suffering from plastic pollution that is entirely human-caused and preventable.

Aquaculture Welfare

Marine aquaculture — especially salmon farming — presents significant welfare challenges: sea lice infestations, overcrowded net pen conditions, handling stress, and stunning practices during slaughter. Farmed salmon welfare has received more attention than most aquaculture species; standards from RSPCA Assured and Global GAP are improving conditions in some operations. The Aquaculture Stewardship Council is developing more robust welfare standards. Shrimp aquaculture — producing tens of billions of animals — has almost no welfare oversight.

Marine Protected Areas

Marine protected areas (MPAs) that restrict or eliminate fishing provide welfare benefits alongside conservation benefits — allowing fish and marine animals to live longer lives with less human-induced suffering. Strongly protected MPAs show dramatic increases in fish populations, species diversity, and individual animal longevity. The 30x30 goal (30% of oceans protected by 2030) would provide welfare benefits for billions of marine animals.

What You Can Do

Helping Marine Animals

Support Marine Orgs Ocean Welfare Bycatch Take Action