Marine Life

Sea Turtle Bycatch in Commercial Fisheries

Sea turtle bycatch in longlines, trawls, and gillnets kills tens of thousands of animals annually, threatening populations already stressed by other human impacts.

Key Facts

An estimated 85,000 sea turtles are captured as bycatch annually in the Pacific alone
Loggerhead and leatherback turtles are most frequently affected by longline bycatch
Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) reduce trawl bycatch by over 90%
Many countries require TEDs but compliance and enforcement are inconsistent
Cold stunning events in North American winters cause thousands of stranded turtles

Welfare Considerations

Sea turtles entangled in fishing gear drown if unable to surface for air, a distressing death for an air-breathing reptile. Longline hooks cause injuries to mouths, throats, and flippers. Turtles caught in nets may be injured during handling or discarding. Even when returned alive, entanglement injuries can be fatal or permanently debilitating.

What You Can Do

Support mandatory TED requirements in trawl fisheries
Choose seafood certified by schemes that monitor sea turtle bycatch
Advocate for observer coverage on longline vessels to monitor bycatch
Support turtle stranding response networks and rehabilitation
Reduce plastic waste that causes additional turtle mortality through ingestion