Bycatch Reduction: Protecting Non-Target Marine Animals

Bycatch — the unintentional capture of non-target species in fishing gear — is one of the largest sources of wildlife mortality in the oceans. Understanding and reducing bycatch is a critical welfare priority.

Key Facts

Global bycatch is estimated at 40% of total marine catch — approximately 38 million tonnes annually
Bycatch includes sea turtles, seabirds, sharks, dolphins, and juvenile fish of target species
Turtle excluder devices (TEDs) in shrimp trawls have reduced sea turtle bycatch by over 90%
Circle hooks instead of J-hooks dramatically reduce seabird and sea turtle hooking rates in longline fisheries
Pingers on fishing nets reduce dolphin and porpoise entanglement deaths significantly
Abandoned lost or discarded fishing gear — ghost gear — continues to catch and kill wildlife indefinitely

Welfare Considerations

Bycatch causes immense animal suffering. Sea turtles entangled in trawl nets drown. Seabirds are hooked and drowned on longlines. Dolphins and porpoises are entangled and suffocate in gill nets. Each of these deaths involves distress, struggle, and suffering that would be entirely preventable with available gear modifications. Ghost gear continues killing wildlife for years after abandonment. The good news is that many effective technical solutions exist — TEDs, circle hooks, acoustic pingers, and ghost gear retrieval programmes have all proven effective at scale.

What You Can Do

Support sustainable seafood certification schemes that require bycatch mitigation measures
Advocate for mandatory use of turtle excluder devices and circle hooks in relevant fisheries
Donate to ghost gear retrieval organisations such as World Animal Protection and GGGI
Engage with governments to strengthen bycatch reporting requirements and enforcement
Raise awareness about bycatch among seafood consumers as a gateway to broader fisheries reform