Marine Mammal Bycatch Welfare | Animal Welfare Hub

Marine mammals including dolphins, porpoises, and seals caught as bycatch in fishing nets face drowning, injuries, and prolonged suffering before death or rescue.

Key Facts

An estimated 300,000 cetaceans die annually as bycatch in fishing gear globally
Harbour porpoise is the most common cetacean bycatch victim in North Atlantic fisheries
Acoustic deterrents effectively reduce porpoise bycatch when deployed correctly
Trawl nets are a major bycatch risk for seals and dolphins in UK waters
Common dolphin bycatch in Bay of Biscay fisheries has been a major welfare and conservation concern

Welfare Considerations

Marine mammal bycatch welfare involves drowning as the primary cause of suffering for air-breathing animals. Cetaceans and seals caught in nets attempt to reach the surface to breathe; prevented by entanglement, they die from hypoxia in minutes to hours. Effective mitigation measures including acoustic deterrents, modified gear designs, and time-area closures can dramatically reduce bycatch. Their mandatory deployment in high-risk fisheries is a direct welfare and conservation intervention.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood from certified fisheries with marine mammal bycatch monitoring and mitigation
Support campaigns for mandatory pinger use on gill nets in porpoise habitats
Advocate for time-area closures protecting marine mammals during peak bycatch risk periods
Report marine mammal strandings with entanglement injuries to British Divers Marine Life Rescue