Marine Turtle Bycatch: A Global Welfare and Conservation Crisis

All seven species of marine turtle are endangered or threatened, with bycatch in fishing gear representing a major cause of mortality and welfare harm globally.

Key Facts

An estimated 250,000 marine turtles are accidentally caught in longlines, trawls and gillnets annually
Bycatch turtles experience drowning, injuries from hooks and gear entanglement causing significant suffering
Leatherback, loggerhead and olive ridley turtles are particularly vulnerable to longline bycatch
Turtle Excluder Devices in shrimp trawls have dramatically reduced bycatch in some regions
Circle hooks instead of J-hooks in longlines significantly reduce sea turtle hooking rates
Post-release survival varies greatly depending on capture method and extent of injury

Welfare Considerations

Marine turtle bycatch causes both population-level conservation harm and significant individual suffering. Turtles caught in nets drown if unable to surface, while those caught on longlines suffer hook wounds, line entanglement and exhaustion. The availability of effective bycatch reduction technologies means much of this suffering is preventable. Consumer choices, fishing gear regulations and certification schemes all play important roles in reducing this harm.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood certified by schemes that require bycatch reduction measures
Support MSC-certified fisheries that document sea turtle bycatch mitigation
Advocate for mandatory Turtle Excluder Device requirements in shrimp fisheries
Support organisations training fishers in safe sea turtle release techniques
Donate to marine turtle conservation organisations working on bycatch reduction