Hundreds of thousands of seabirds are killed as bycatch in longline fisheries each year. Albatrosses, petrels, and shearwaters are particularly vulnerable, with some species facing extinction as a result.
Seabird bycatch causes drowning — a prolonged and distressing death for birds that evolved to surface-dive but cannot escape from submerged hooks. Albatrosses and petrels mate for life and are long-lived; the loss of breeding adults destroys established pair bonds and reduces reproduction for years. The combined welfare and conservation harm is severe. Technical solutions exist and are effective — their mandatory adoption through fisheries certification and regulation is the key barrier.