Seabird Bycatch: Albatrosses and the Longline Fishery

Longline fishing gear kills an estimated 300,000 seabirds annually globally, with albatrosses and petrels among the most severely impacted species.

Key Facts

19 of 22 albatross species are threatened with extinction, with fishing bycatch as the primary driver
Albatrosses dive to take baited hooks and are drowned before they can surface
Simple mitigation measures including bird-scaring lines and weighted sink hooks reduce bycatch by over 90%
The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels coordinates international conservation efforts
South Georgia longline fisheries have achieved near-zero seabird bycatch through mandatory mitigation

Welfare Considerations

Albatrosses and other seabirds caught on longline hooks drown rapidly but not instantaneously. Drowning is a highly stressful experience involving panic, hypoxia, and cardiac distress. Birds caught on deep hooks may be drowned before surfacing; those caught near the surface may struggle for longer. The scale of seabird bycatch globally represents a significant welfare problem in addition to the conservation implications. The availability of effective, low-cost mitigation measures makes ongoing bycatch a preventable welfare failure. Fisheries that have implemented bird-scaring lines, night setting, and weighted hooks demonstrate that near-zero bycatch is achievable.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood with certification from fisheries that have verified seabird bycatch mitigation
Support RSPB campaigns for mandatory bycatch mitigation in longline fisheries
Advocate for international adoption of bycatch mitigation as a condition of market access
Donate to organisations working on seabird bycatch monitoring and mitigation
Learn about albatross biology and the threats they face to build public awareness