Marine Animals

Albatross Longline Bycatch

Albatrosses are drawn to baited longline hooks and drown in vast numbers, threatening populations of these long-lived seabirds.

Key Facts

Longline fisheries kill over 100,000 seabirds annually including albatrosses
19 of 22 albatross species are threatened with extinction
Simple mitigation measures including tori lines reduce bycatch by 90%
Albatrosses take years to reach sexual maturity and raise only one chick at a time
Bycatch mitigation tools cost under 1,000 dollars per vessel annually

Welfare Considerations

Albatrosses drawn to bait lines become hooked and drown as lines sink. The drowning process causes distress and physical injury before death. Simple, inexpensive mitigation measures exist but are not universally adopted or required. Population-level welfare and conservation impacts are severe given the slow reproductive rate of albatrosses.

What You Can Do

Support fisheries that use albatross-safe longline mitigation
Choose seafood from MSC certified sustainable fisheries
Advocate for mandatory bycatch mitigation on longline vessels
Support conservation organizations working on seabird bycatch
Donate to albatross research and conservation programs