Welfare of Marine Turtles Caught in Fishing Gear

Sea turtles are among the most bycatch-affected marine reptiles, with hundreds of thousands caught in fishing gear annually causing injury, stress, and death.

Key Facts

All seven sea turtle species are threatened or endangered
An estimated 200,000 sea turtles are caught annually as bycatch in longlines alone
Turtles can drown in trawl nets within minutes of entanglement
Turtle Excluder Devices reduce bycatch by up to 97% with minimal fish catch reduction
Released turtles show post-capture stress lasting days and affecting feeding behavior

Welfare Considerations

Sea turtle bycatch combines immediate welfare harm — entanglement, drowning, hook ingestion — with population-level consequences that cause ongoing harm across generations. Turtle Excluder Devices are a proven, low-cost solution that reduces bycatch dramatically. Their adoption has been slowed by resistance from fishing industry stakeholders despite evidence of minimal fish catch reduction. Each turtle caught in a longline may struggle against the hook for hours before dying.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood certified by MSC or similar schemes with turtle bycatch monitoring requirements
Advocate for mandatory Turtle Excluder Device requirements in trawl fisheries
Support organizations that rescue and rehabilitate sea turtles injured by fishing gear
Reduce consumption of species caught using fishing methods with high turtle bycatch rates