Wild Dolphins and Bycatch Mortality

Dolphins are killed as bycatch in multiple fisheries globally, with tuna purse seining, drift nets, and gillnets among the most significant sources of dolphin mortality.

Key Facts

An estimated 300,000 cetaceans including dolphins die from fishing gear entanglement annually
Eastern tropical Pacific tuna fisheries have historically set nets on dolphin schools to find tuna below
The US dolphin-safe tuna label has driven fishing method changes that substantially reduced dolphin mortality
Mediterranean gillnet fisheries continue to kill common dolphins and porpoises at unsustainable rates
Small cetacean bycatch is poorly monitored globally — most mortality goes unrecorded
Observer programs on fishing vessels provide the most reliable bycatch data but are limited in coverage

Welfare Considerations

Dolphin bycatch causes deaths that represent welfare failures for highly intelligent, socially complex animals. Dolphins drowned in nets experience acute distress. The social disruption of bycatch deaths extends to surviving pod members who have documented responses to dead companions. The US dolphin-safe tuna label demonstrates that consumer pressure can drive industry practice change at scale — a significant welfare success story. But the label's standards have weakened and monitoring gaps remain. Mediterranean and other regional fisheries lack equivalent pressure and continue to kill dolphins at ecologically significant rates. Welfare improvement requires both consumer demand and regulatory monitoring.

What You Can Do

Choose tuna with verified dolphin-safe sourcing through credible observer programs
Advocate for strengthening dolphin-safe tuna standards to include genuine observer verification
Support campaigns targeting Mediterranean gillnet bycatch reduction
Reduce tuna consumption as part of a broader commitment to reducing fishing welfare impacts
Donate to organizations monitoring cetacean bycatch and advocating for protective regulation