Fish Bycatch: Scale and Welfare Implications

Tens of millions of tonnes of non-target fish are discarded annually in global fisheries; immediate mortality or injury and slow death from air exposure represent massive welfare harms.

Key Facts

Global bycatch is estimated at 9-14 million tonnes annually, equivalent to 40% of the total wild fish catch
Discarded fish may be alive when returned to the sea but survival rates for many species are low
Air exposure during sorting causes injury and death in fish that require continuous water contact
Bottom trawling catches and kills juvenile fish before they can reproduce, compounding welfare and sustainability impacts
Selective fishing gear including more escape panels and modified net designs reduces bycatch significantly

Welfare Considerations

Fish bycatch represents a welfare harm of staggering scale that receives far less attention than its magnitude warrants. Tens of millions of tonnes of fish are caught, sorted, and discarded annually, many experiencing prolonged air exposure and physical injury during processing. Fish discarded alive after extensive air exposure face compromised physiology that significantly reduces survival rates. The welfare improvement available through selective gear design, improved escape panels, and changes in fishing practice could prevent billions of suffering animal-events annually. The welfare case for bycatch reduction parallels and reinforces the ecological sustainability case.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood certified by programs requiring selective gear and bycatch reduction
Support legislative requirements for selective fishing gear in your jurisdiction
Advocate for discard bans that create economic incentives to reduce bycatch
Support research on selective gear designs that reduce bycatch without reducing target species catch
Reduce consumption of species with high associated bycatch rates