Wild Albatross Bycatch and Welfare Crisis

Albatrosses are among the most threatened seabirds due to longline fishing bycatch. Drowning after being hooked on longlines causes significant suffering to thousands of individuals annually.

Key Facts

19 of 22 albatross species are threatened with extinction, making them the most threatened seabird family
Longline fishing vessels set hundreds of millions of hooks annually that can catch albatrosses attracted to the bait
Albatrosses hooked on longlines typically drown as the line is set, causing death or serious injury
The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels coordinates international bycatch reduction efforts
Simple mitigation measures including bird-scaring lines, night setting, and weighted lines reduce bycatch by up to 95%
Albatrosses are extremely long-lived, sometimes reaching 70 years, making each individual death a significant loss
Pair bonds in albatrosses are lifelong, and the death of one partner causes prolonged disruption to the surviving bird

Welfare Considerations

Albatross bycatch in longline fisheries causes acute drowning deaths and serious injuries to thousands of individuals annually. Birds that survive hooking but are injured face impaired flight ability, difficulty feeding, and reduced survival. The loss of a long-term pair partner causes behavioral disruption and reduced breeding success in surviving birds. The welfare tragedy is compounded by the fact that effective mitigation measures reducing bycatch by up to 95% exist and are inexpensive to implement, making continued high bycatch rates a problem of compliance and enforcement rather than technical feasibility. International agreements and fishing vessel certification schemes that require mitigation measures represent the most direct route to welfare improvement for this threatened group.

What You Can Do

Support the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels and similar international conservation instruments
Choose seafood certified by programs that require longline bycatch mitigation measures for seabirds
Advocate for mandatory bycatch mitigation requirements in fisheries management regulations
Donate to BirdLife International and similar organizations working on albatross bycatch reduction
Raise awareness about albatross bycatch as one of the most acute and solvable wildlife welfare crises