Fish Bycatch: Welfare and Conservation

Bycatch — the unintended capture of non-target fish species — kills hundreds of millions of fish annually and represents both a conservation and animal welfare crisis in global fisheries.

Key Facts

Estimated global bycatch exceeds 40 million tonnes annually
Bycatch species include juvenile fish, sharks, rays, turtles, seabirds, and marine mammals
Fish caught as bycatch typically die from suffocation, crushing, or barotrauma as gear is hauled
Bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) can significantly reduce non-target captures in trawl fisheries
Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification includes bycatch assessment criteria

Welfare Considerations

Bycatch fish die in ways that are invariably painful and distressing. Suffocation in net hauls takes many minutes; crushing by other fish and gear is immediate but traumatic. Fish brought rapidly from depth suffer barotrauma as swim bladders expand. These are not incidental harms — they are predictable consequences of non-selective fishing gear used at industrial scale. The welfare and conservation case for reducing bycatch is overwhelming and well-aligned. Selective gear, marine protected areas, and consumer demand for certified sustainable fish all drive improvement.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood certified by MSC or equivalent schemes that include bycatch criteria
Advocate for mandatory bycatch reporting in all commercial fisheries
Support the expansion of marine protected areas that limit destructive fishing gear
Ask seafood retailers about their bycatch reduction policies
Support NGOs working on selective gear technology and fisheries reform