Wildlife

Seabird Bycatch and Welfare in Commercial Fishing

Longline fishing causes massive seabird mortality worldwide, representing a significant wildlife welfare and conservation crisis.

Key Facts

Approximately 160,000 seabirds including 100,000 albatrosses are killed annually as bycatch in longline fisheries
Birds diving for bait on longlines become hooked and drown — a slow, distressing death
18 of 22 albatross species are threatened with extinction, largely due to bycatch mortality
Simple mitigation measures including bird-scaring lines, night setting, and weighted lines dramatically reduce bycatch
International agreements like the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels drive global action

Welfare Considerations

Seabird bycatch represents a significant welfare problem causing prolonged drowning deaths for hundreds of thousands of birds annually. Albatrosses and petrels — long-lived, slow-reproducing seabirds — cannot sustain these mortality rates, driving population declines. The welfare and conservation tragedies are intertwined: each drowned bird represents individual suffering and population-level harm. Proven mitigation technology exists but is inconsistently adopted.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood certified by programs requiring seabird bycatch mitigation measures
Support organizations working on seabird bycatch reduction including BirdLife International
Advocate for mandatory bycatch mitigation requirements in fisheries management agreements
Learn to identify bycatch mitigation certifications on seafood products
Support fishing nations in implementing vessel monitoring and bycatch reporting requirements