Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles are accidentally caught in fishing gear each year, causing drowning, injury, and death in all seven species, many of which are already Endangered or Critically Endangered.
Sea turtle bycatch causes acute suffering on an enormous scale. Entangled turtles drown when prevented from surfacing, or may sustain severe injuries from hooks, lines, and nets before death. Turtles that survive entanglement may suffer from cold stunning, hypothermia, and exhaustion. Those caught in longlines may struggle for hours before being hauled aboard — if fishers check their gear infrequently, turtles face extended periods of entanglement stress or drowning. Bycatch reduction technology — TEDs and circle hooks — is proven and cost-effective, but adoption remains incomplete due to weak enforcement and economic resistance. Consumer choices and fisheries certification schemes that require bycatch mitigation are meaningful levers.