Bycatch — the unintentional capture of non-target species — kills hundreds of millions of marine animals annually. Reducing bycatch protects both individual animal welfare and marine ecosystem health.
Marine bycatch causes enormous welfare harm. Animals caught unintentionally in fishing gear experience drowning, crushing, barotrauma from rapid depth change, and physical injuries from nets and hooks. Most die before or during discard. The scale is staggering: hundreds of millions of individual marine animals dying annually as a direct but unintended consequence of fishing for other species. Mitigation technologies including turtle excluder devices, seabird mitigation lines, acoustic pingers for cetaceans, and circle hooks that reduce swallowing in bycatch species have demonstrated dramatic effectiveness where adopted. Consumer choice of MSC-certified seafood and support for stronger bycatch reduction regulations are the primary levers for individual action.