Seabirds are accidentally caught and killed in fishing operations worldwide in enormous numbers. Longline, gillnet, and trawl fisheries each affect different species, but all contribute to population declines in some of the ocean's most charismatic birds.
Seabird bycatch causes individual deaths that are often slow and distressing: birds caught on longline hooks drown after struggling, while those entangled in nets may be injured before death. At the population level, the mortality caused by bycatch is driving several albatross and petrel species toward extinction. The welfare significance extends beyond individual deaths to the social disruption caused in species with strong pair bonds and long-lived social structures — the loss of experienced breeders disproportionately harms colony productivity. The solutions are technically simple, economically minor, and proven effective. The challenge is implementation across thousands of fishing vessels in dozens of jurisdictions, requiring regulatory frameworks and industry cooperation.