Marine Turtle Bycatch: Reducing Accidental Capture

All seven species of marine turtle are endangered or threatened, with bycatch in fishing gear being a primary mortality cause. Solutions exist that significantly reduce accidental turtle capture.

Key Facts

An estimated 40,000-160,000 sea turtles are killed annually in longline fisheries
Leatherback and loggerhead turtles are particularly vulnerable to longline bycatch
Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) in trawl nets allow turtles to escape while retaining fish
Circle hooks on longlines dramatically reduce sea turtle bycatch compared to J-hooks
Swordfish longline fisheries in the Pacific have significantly reduced turtle bycatch through gear modification
Climate change affecting nesting beach temperatures may produce skewed sex ratios in turtle populations

Welfare Considerations

Marine turtles caught in fishing gear experience drowning -- as air-breathing reptiles they cannot survive prolonged submergence. Turtles that surface while entangled in longlines may suffer from hook injuries, dehydration from aerial exposure, and exhaustion before dying or being released. Even released turtles may die from delayed complications. Ingestion of plastic waste is an additional welfare concern -- turtles confuse plastic bags with jellyfish prey, causing gut blockages and starvation. TED requirements, circle hook mandates, and responsible seafood sourcing directly reduce turtle bycatch and improve individual welfare outcomes.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood certified sustainable by MSC or equivalent schemes with turtle bycatch standards
Support circle hook requirements in longline fisheries as a proven turtle bycatch reduction measure
Reduce single-use plastic consumption to decrease marine plastic pollution harming turtles
Support marine protected areas encompassing sea turtle nesting beaches and feeding grounds