Seabird Bycatch in Longline Fisheries

Longline fisheries accidentally hook and drown hundreds of thousands of seabirds annually, including albatrosses and petrels, making bycatch one of the leading causes of seabird mortality.

Key Facts

An estimated 300,000 seabirds are killed as longline bycatch annually worldwide
19 of 22 albatross species are threatened with extinction — longline bycatch is a primary driver
Demersal longlines can carry 10,000-30,000 baited hooks set along the seafloor
Mitigation measures including streamer lines, weighted lines, and night setting reduce bycatch by 90%+
Agreement on Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) coordinates international mitigation efforts

Welfare Considerations

Seabird bycatch welfare is acute: hooked birds are dragged underwater by sinking longlines and drown. The suffering is brief but the scale is enormous — 300,000 individuals annually. Albatrosses, which mate for life and raise a single chick over 11 months, are particularly vulnerable: they follow fishing vessels for bait, are attracted to baited hooks, and cannot dive to escape once hooked. The good news is that mitigation measures are highly effective and relatively cheap: streamer lines that scare birds away from hooks, weighted lines that sink quickly, and night-setting when most albatrosses are inactive reduce bycatch by 90%+ when all three are combined.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood from MSC-certified fisheries that require seabird bycatch mitigation
Support BirdLife International's Albatross Task Force which works with fishing fleets globally
Advocate for mandatory seabird bycatch mitigation requirements in all longline fishing licenses
Donate to ACAP (Agreement on Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels) programs
Learn about albatross ecology and spread awareness of the bycatch crisis