Wild Animals

Wild Seabird Bycatch Reduction

Longline fishing kills hundreds of thousands of seabirds annually as bycatch, with albatrosses and petrels disproportionately affected.

Key Facts

An estimated 320,000 seabirds are killed as longline bycatch annually
Albatrosses are particularly vulnerable due to their foraging behavior
Simple measures like bird-scaring lines reduce seabird bycatch by up to 95%
Many species of albatross are now threatened primarily due to bycatch mortality

Welfare Considerations

Seabirds that are hooked on longlines drown or are dragged underwater, experiencing terror and pain before death. Bycatch mortality removes breeding adults, causing orphaned chicks to starve. Prevention measures cost very little and dramatically reduce this ongoing welfare catastrophe.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood certified by programs that monitor and require seabird-safe fishing
Support organizations advocating for mandatory bycatch prevention measures
Donate to seabird monitoring programs tracking bycatch mortality rates
Engage with fishery management bodies to strengthen seabird bycatch requirements