Longline fishing kills tens of thousands of seabirds annually including critically endangered albatrosses — proven mitigation measures can dramatically reduce this welfare and conservation harm.
Seabird bycatch in longline fishing illustrates how a single industry practice can cause welfare harm and conservation damage at scale. Albatrosses attracted to longline baits are hooked, dragged underwater, and drown — a prolonged and distressing death for animals capable of complex cognition and long-lived pair bonds. The tragedy is compounded by the fact that effective, low-cost mitigation measures exist and have been proven in multiple fisheries. Bird scaring lines, weighted hooks, and night setting together can reduce bycatch by 80-90%. What is lacking is consistent regulatory requirement and enforcement across all longline fisheries globally. Consumer pressure on certified sustainable seafood programs to include seabird bycatch criteria can accelerate adoption.