Bycatch Mitigation Technology: Engineering Solutions for Marine Welfare

Innovative fishing gear technology is transforming bycatch reduction, offering practical solutions that protect non-target species while maintaining fishing viability.

Key Facts

Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) allow sea turtles to escape trawl nets through an escape opening — reducing bycatch by 97%
LED lights attached to gillnets reduce cetacean bycatch by 70-80% in trials — porpoises avoid the illuminated nets
Circle hooks reduce sea turtle bycatch on longlines by 90% compared with J-hooks
Acoustic pingers attached to gillnets reduce harbour porpoise bycatch substantially and are now required in EU gillnet fisheries
Bird-scaring lines (tori lines) with weighted streamers reduce seabird bycatch by 70-90% on longline vessels

Welfare Considerations

Bycatch mitigation technology has transformed the welfare equation in several major fisheries, demonstrating that engineering innovation can dramatically reduce non-target species suffering without prohibiting fishing. TEDs, circle hooks, LED nets and tori lines each address a specific bycatch vulnerability with practical, cost-effective tools. The welfare challenge is implementation: mandating these proven technologies universally, ensuring compliance, and funding development of additional solutions for fisheries where current technology is less effective. Each technology adoption represents millions of prevented animal deaths and incalculable suffering averted.

What You Can Do

Support seafood certification schemes that require adoption of proven bycatch mitigation technologies
Advocate for mandatory TED use in all trawl fisheries where sea turtles are present
Support LED gillnet technology development and deployment for porpoise bycatch reduction globally
Ask retailers about bycatch mitigation technology requirements in their seafood supply chain standards
Donate to the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation research programme on bycatch reduction technology