Prawn and Shrimp Fishing Bycatch

Trawl fisheries targeting shrimp and prawns have among the highest bycatch ratios of any commercial fishery, killing huge numbers of non-target species as collateral damage.

Key Facts

Shrimp trawls can produce 10kg of bycatch for every 1kg of shrimp landed
Juvenile fish, sea turtles, dolphins, and seahorses are common bycatch species
Juvenile fish bycatch disrupts population dynamics of commercially important species
Turtle excluder devices and bycatch reduction devices significantly reduce non-target capture
Tropical shrimp trawling has among the worst bycatch ratios globally

Welfare Considerations

Shrimp trawl bycatch represents a welfare catastrophe measured in billions of individuals annually: fish, rays, crabs, and other invertebrates caught in nets designed for shrimp experience crowding, crushing, and slow death by suffocation as the catch is sorted. Sea turtles caught in trawls drown unless turtle excluder devices are present. The welfare harm is compounded by the indiscriminate nature of trawling — many of the animals killed are not even assessed before being discarded.

What You Can Do

Choose sustainably certified shrimp from hand-picked or trap-caught sources
Look for Marine Stewardship Council certification on shrimp products
Avoid tropical warm-water shrimp from trawl fisheries where possible
Advocate for mandatory bycatch reduction device requirements in shrimp fisheries
Support organisations working to eliminate bycatch in tropical shrimp fisheries