Wild Sea Turtle Bycatch and Welfare

Sea turtles are caught as bycatch in fishing nets and longlines at rates that endanger populations while causing drowning, physical injury, and significant suffering to hundreds of thousands of individuals annually.

Key Facts

An estimated 250,000 sea turtles are accidentally caught in fishing gear annually worldwide
All seven sea turtle species are listed as threatened or endangered under the US Endangered Species Act
Loggerhead and leatherback turtles are particularly vulnerable to longline fishing gear used for tuna and swordfish
Circle hooks and fish bait instead of squid bait can reduce sea turtle longline capture by over 80%
Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) in shrimp trawls are required in US waters and dramatically reduce bycatch
Turtles entangled in nets or hooked on longlines drown or suffer for extended periods before death or release

Welfare Considerations

Sea turtle bycatch causes both welfare and conservation harm. Turtles drowned in trawl nets experience prolonged oxygen deprivation and struggle before losing consciousness. Those captured on longlines may be dragged through water for hours before hauling. Even turtles released alive often carry hooks, experience internal injuries, or suffer from cold shock syndrome. The welfare cost is multiplied by the impossibility of measuring the full bycatch rate in global fisheries and the scale of sea turtle populations globally.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood certified by the Marine Stewardship Council for fisheries with bycatch reduction measures
Support Oceana and other organizations campaigning for mandatory TED use and circle hook adoption globally
Advocate for international fishing agreements requiring bycatch reduction technology
Participate in or support sea turtle monitoring and stranding response programs in coastal areas
Reduce seafood consumption or choose plant-based alternatives to reduce overall fishing pressure