Wildlife Entanglement in Marine Litter

Marine plastic and discarded fishing gear entangle and kill hundreds of thousands of seabirds, marine mammals, and turtles annually.

Key Facts

Ghost fishing gear abandoned at sea continues to catch and kill wildlife for years
An estimated 100,000 marine mammals and one million seabirds die from plastic entanglement annually
Entangled animals experience prolonged suffering including strangulation, wound infection, and starvation
Seal, dolphin, whale, and sea turtle entanglement is documented in virtually all ocean regions
Extended producer responsibility schemes are beginning to address fishing gear management

Welfare Considerations

Entanglement causes severe and prolonged suffering in marine wildlife. Animals caught in fishing gear or plastic may struggle for hours or days before death from exhaustion, strangulation, or drowning. Entangled animals that survive may carry embedded plastic causing progressive wound infection and chronic pain. Individual suffering from entanglement is widespread, largely preventable, and a direct consequence of inadequate waste management and fishing gear accountability. Disentanglement rescue operations save individual lives but address only a fraction of the problem.

What You Can Do

Participate in coastal litter picks to reduce marine plastic entering the sea
Never release balloons or sky lanterns that reach the ocean as plastic litter
Support campaigns for mandatory fishing gear marking and retrieval schemes
Donate to organisations funding marine wildlife rescue and entanglement response