Sea Turtle Bycatch in Commercial Fisheries

Sea turtles are accidentally caught in fishing gear at alarming rates, causing drowning, injury, and population declines across all seven species. Proven solutions exist but are unevenly adopted.

Key Facts

An estimated 250,000 sea turtles are captured as bycatch annually in longline and trawl fisheries
All seven sea turtle species are listed as threatened or endangered under international agreements
Sea turtles drown when entangled in nets and unable to reach the surface to breathe
Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) in trawl nets reduce sea turtle capture by over 90%
Circle hooks reduce sea turtle bycatch in longline fisheries by up to 85% compared to J-hooks
The US requires TEDs in shrimp trawlers but enforcement and compliance in developing countries is weak
Satellite tagging has revealed migration routes that overlap heavily with high-intensity fishing areas

Welfare Considerations

Sea turtle bycatch involves large numbers of animals experiencing acute drowning distress and physical injury from hooks and entanglement. The technology to dramatically reduce bycatch exists and is proven, but economic and enforcement barriers limit adoption. Turtles that survive capture often sustain internal injuries from hooks or entanglement wounds. Stranding networks rescue and rehabilitate bycatch survivors, but prevention through gear modification and area management is the only scalable solution.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood certified by the Marine Stewardship Council which includes bycatch standards
Ask restaurants and retailers about bycatch reduction practices in their seafood supply chains
Support sea turtle conservation and stranding rehabilitation organizations financially
Advocate for international fishing agreements that mandate bycatch reduction gear
Reduce seafood consumption from fisheries with documented high sea turtle bycatch rates