Fishing Bycatch: Scale and Welfare of Non-Target Species

Bycatch — the incidental capture of non-target species in fishing gear — kills hundreds of millions of animals annually, making it one of the largest sources of human-caused animal death.

Key Facts

An estimated 40% of all marine catch globally is bycatch
Bycatch includes sea turtles, sharks, dolphins, seabirds, and non-target fish
Ghost gear abandoned in oceans continues catching fish and other animals indefinitely
Turtle excluder devices reduce sea turtle bycatch by over 90%
Some fisheries discard over 50% of their catch as bycatch

Welfare Considerations

Non-target animals caught in trawls, longlines, and gillnets experience drowning, crushing, barotrauma, and stress. Many survive capture briefly before dying of injuries or being killed by crew. Ghost gear entangles animals causing slow strangulation, injury, and death over days or weeks. The welfare scale of bycatch exceeds that of most other human-wildlife interactions. Technological solutions including modified gear, LED lights, and acoustic deterrents can dramatically reduce bycatch.

What You Can Do

Choose MSC-certified fish from fisheries with low bycatch rates
Support ghost gear removal campaigns including Ghost Fishing UK
Advocate for mandatory turtle excluder devices and bycatch reduction requirements
Reduce seafood consumption to decrease overall fishing pressure
Support research into bycatch mitigation technology