Seabird Bycatch: Welfare and Conservation Impacts

Seabirds are killed in their millions annually as bycatch in longline and trawl fisheries, with devastating effects on welfare and population conservation.

Key Facts

An estimated 160,000-320,000 seabirds are killed annually as bycatch in longline fisheries globally, including albatrosses, petrels, and shearwaters
Albatrosses are among the most welfare-significant bycatch victims; 15 of 22 species are threatened with extinction partly due to longline fishery mortality
Bird-scaring lines, night setting, line weighting, and offal management are proven bycatch mitigation measures that can reduce seabird mortality by over 90%
The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) coordinates seabird bycatch mitigation across member countries and fishing fleets
Seabirds that survive being caught on longline hooks but are released may die from the injury or experience significant welfare harm from the trauma of entanglement

Welfare Considerations

Seabird bycatch welfare is significant both because of the suffering of individual birds and because of the population-level impacts on long-lived, slow-reproducing species. An albatross that dies as bycatch has a welfare story of acute trauma — drowning or injury on a hook — that is morally significant in itself. The same individual also represents a significant conservation loss given albatross longevity and slow reproductive rates. Mitigation measures are cost-effective and widely known; the barrier to adoption is compliance and enforcement rather than technology.

What You Can Do

Support certification schemes like MSC that require seabird bycatch mitigation as a condition of certification
Advocate for mandatory use of proven bycatch mitigation measures on all longline vessels in your country
Choose certified sustainable tuna and other longline-caught products that require verified bycatch reduction
Support ACAP and similar international agreements that coordinate seabird bycatch reduction across fishing fleets
Raise awareness of seabird bycatch as both a welfare and conservation emergency that requires urgent action