Marine Turtle Bycatch: Reducing Incidental Capture in Fishing Gear

Marine turtles face significant welfare harm from incidental capture in fishing gear, with proven mitigation measures available but inconsistently implemented.

Key Facts

All seven species of marine turtle are threatened or endangered, with bycatch identified as a primary threat alongside habitat loss
Circle hooks reduce sea turtle bycatch in longline fisheries by 80-90% compared to J-hooks with minimal impact on target catch
Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) in shrimp trawls are mandatory in US waters and have significantly reduced turtle mortality
An estimated 250,000 marine turtles are incidentally captured or killed in fisheries annually worldwide
Leatherback and loggerhead turtles are particularly vulnerable to longline capture due to their widespread oceanic distribution
Turtles that survive capture and release may carry injuries from hooks and entanglement affecting long-term welfare and survival

Welfare Considerations

Marine turtle bycatch causes significant welfare harm including drowning in nets, hook ingestion, and entanglement injuries in released individuals. The welfare case for bycatch reduction is strengthened by the proven effectiveness of simple, low-cost mitigation measures. Circle hooks and TEDs represent some of the best-evidenced and most cost-effective single-species welfare interventions available. The barrier to universal implementation is regulatory rather than technical — mandating proven measures in all relevant fisheries would dramatically reduce turtle welfare harm globally. The welfare cost of current regulatory gaps is enormous given turtle population sizes and the proportion experiencing capture events annually.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood from fisheries certified to use turtle-friendly gear including circle hooks and TEDs
Support advocacy for mandatory turtle bycatch mitigation in all fisheries operating in turtle habitat
Participate in or support beach monitoring programs that protect turtle nesting sites from disturbance
Report entangled or injured marine turtles to wildlife authorities or marine mammal rescue organizations
Support marine protected areas that provide refuge from fishing pressure in critical turtle feeding and nesting habitats