Birds

Albatross Welfare and Longline Bycatch

Albatrosses are the most threatened group of seabirds, with longline fishing bycatch being the primary cause of population decline.

Key Facts

19 of 22 albatross species are threatened with extinction
Albatrosses dive for squid and fish and are attracted to baited longline hooks
An estimated 100,000 albatrosses are killed by longline fishing annually
Simple mitigation measures including tori lines reduce bycatch by 90%
Albatrosses form lifelong pair bonds and raise one chick at a time

Welfare Considerations

Albatrosses hooked on longlines experience drowning after being pulled under water. Those that escape may survive with hook injuries that impair feeding. The loss of adult birds to bycatch devastates bonded pairs and leaves chicks to starve. Given their extreme longevity and pair bonding, individual losses have profound impacts on surviving partners and populations.

What You Can Do

Support mandatory bycatch mitigation on longline fishing vessels
Choose sustainably certified tuna and swordfish
Donate to BirdLife International albatross programs
Advocate for longline mitigation requirements in international fishing agreements