Wildlife

Seabird Bycatch Welfare in Commercial Fisheries

Seabird bycatch in commercial fishing gear is a major global welfare concern, with millions of birds caught and drowned annually in longline, trawl, and gillnet fisheries.

Key Facts

An estimated 300,000 seabirds are killed in commercial fisheries annually
Albatrosses and petrels are most severely affected by longline fisheries globally
UK seabirds including gannets and guillemots are caught in gillnets in domestic waters
Mitigation measures including bird-scaring lines and night setting substantially reduce bycatch
MSC certification increasingly requires bycatch mitigation for seabird-impact fisheries

Welfare Considerations

Seabirds caught on longline hooks or entangled in gillnets typically drown, experiencing prolonged distress and suffocation before death. Albatrosses attempting to take baited hooks are particularly vulnerable and species that are already endangered face additional population pressure from bycatch mortality. Mitigation measures are available and effective, and their adoption should be universal in fisheries operating in seabird habitats.

What You Can Do

Choose MSC-certified seafood from fisheries with seabird bycatch mitigation requirements
Support RSPB's Save the Albatross campaign advocating for bycatch mitigation
Advocate for bycatch mitigation requirements in UK domestic fishing regulations
Donate to seabird conservation organisations working on bycatch reduction
Engage with fish purchasing decisions that reward lower-bycatch fishing operations