Aquatic Animals

Sea Turtle Bycatch and Entanglement

All seven sea turtle species are threatened, with bycatch in fisheries and entanglement in marine debris among the leading causes of mortality.

Key Facts

All seven sea turtle species are listed as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered
Longline fisheries are estimated to hook over 200,000 sea turtles annually
Leatherback turtles can mistake plastic bags for jellyfish
Turtle excluder devices (TEDs) can reduce bycatch by 97%
Female sea turtles return to their birth beach to nest

Welfare Considerations

Drowning in fishing gear causes severe suffering. Entanglement in ghost gear causes chronic injury, exhaustion, and slow death. Ingesting plastic causes gut impaction and starvation. Turtles rescued after entanglement often require months of rehabilitation. Addressing fishing gear and plastic pollution prevents suffering at scale.

What You Can Do

Support fisheries requiring turtle excluder devices
Reduce single-use plastic to decrease marine debris
Participate in beach clean-ups to remove entanglement hazards
Donate to sea turtle rehabilitation centres
Choose seafood certified sustainable and turtle-safe