Wild Sea Turtle Bycatch Welfare and Fisheries

Sea turtles are frequently caught as bycatch in commercial fisheries, causing injuries and mortality. Turtle excluder devices and gear modifications offer effective welfare and conservation solutions.

Key Facts

All seven sea turtle species are listed as threatened or endangered on the IUCN Red List
Longline fisheries are estimated to catch over 200,000 sea turtles annually as bycatch
Trawl fisheries cause drowning mortality in turtles unable to surface within air-holding time limits
Turtle excluder devices reduce turtle bycatch by over 97% with minimal impact on target catch
Circle hooks reduce sea turtle bycatch in longline fisheries by 80-90% compared to J-hooks
Injured turtles released from gear often survive if injuries are not severe and animals receive prompt care

Welfare Considerations

Sea turtle bycatch causes significant welfare harm through drowning, physical injury from hooks and entanglement, and physiological stress from capture. The welfare impact compounds the conservation threat posed by bycatch mortality to already-depleted populations. Turtle excluder devices and hook modifications are proven, effective solutions that dramatically reduce both welfare harm and mortality, but their adoption remains uneven across fisheries globally.

What You Can Do

Support certification schemes requiring turtle excluder devices and circle hook adoption
Choose seafood from fisheries with strong bycatch reduction programmes and certification
Advocate for mandatory turtle excluder device requirements in relevant fisheries regulations
Donate to sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation organisations that treat bycatch injuries
Support international fisheries agreements that include sea turtle bycatch mitigation requirements