Sea turtles are caught as bycatch in fisheries globally, with turtle excluder devices and circle hooks offering proven welfare and conservation improvements.
Sea turtles caught in fisheries drown when unable to surface for air. This causes oxygen deprivation and death over minutes. Turtles caught in longlines may be dragged for hours before hauling. Wounds from hooks cause infection and impaired feeding in released animals. TEDs allow turtles that enter trawl nets to escape through a trapdoor, preventing the most common bycatch scenario. Circle hooks are less likely to be ingested by turtles than J-hooks. Both technologies require minimal cost and do not significantly reduce target fish catch rates. Mandatory TED requirements in US shrimp fisheries have significantly reduced sea turtle mortality. International adoption of these technologies through the WCPFC and IOTC tuna fisheries agreements could protect populations across the Pacific and Indian Oceans.