Marine Life

Sea Turtle Bycatch: Entanglement in Fisheries Gear

All seven sea turtle species are threatened. Bycatch in shrimp trawls, longlines, and gillnets is a major cause of mortality, causing drowning and traumatic injury.

Key Facts

All seven sea turtle species are listed as Vulnerable to Critically Endangered
An estimated 250,000 loggerhead and leatherback turtles are caught as bycatch annually in the US alone
Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) in shrimp trawls reduce sea turtle bycatch by up to 97%
Longline circle hooks reduce sea turtle catch compared to J-hooks
Leatherback sea turtles travel thousands of kilometers and frequently encounter fishing gear

Welfare Considerations

Turtles entangled in nets drown over minutes to hours — a prolonged and distressing death for an air-breathing reptile. Those that survive entanglement may suffer flipper injuries, propeller strikes, or internal injuries. TEDs and circle hooks demonstrate that significant bycatch reduction is technically feasible and economically manageable.

What You Can Do

Advocate for mandatory TED requirements in all shrimp trawl fisheries globally
Choose seafood certified by MSC to standards that include bycatch reduction
Support Sea Turtle Conservancy monitoring and research programs
Donate to Oceana campaigns for turtle-safe fishing gear requirements