Marine Turtle Bycatch in Longline Fisheries

Longline fishing catches and drowns hundreds of thousands of sea turtles annually, with modified gear offering significant reduction potential.

Key Facts

An estimated 200,000 to 300,000 sea turtles are caught as bycatch in longline fisheries annually
All sea turtle species are threatened or endangered making bycatch a conservation crisis
Circle hooks reduce turtle bycatch by 80-90 percent compared to conventional J-hooks
Mandatory TEDs in shrimp trawls have dramatically reduced turtle drowning in those fisheries
Observer coverage of longline fleets enables monitoring and enforcement of bycatch reduction
Turtles caught on hooks cannot reach the surface to breathe and drown over minutes to hours

Welfare Considerations

Sea turtle bycatch drowning is acute and preventable. Turtles caught on longline hooks cannot reach the surface to breathe, drowning over minutes to hours. The welfare harm is substantial since drowning is an acute distress experience for air-breathing animals. Circle hook adoption demonstrates that the trade-off between fishing efficiency and bycatch reduction is smaller than once assumed. The welfare and conservation case for expanded bycatch reduction measures in all major longline fisheries is clear; the barrier is primarily political will and enforcement capacity.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood certified by sustainability schemes addressing sea turtle bycatch
Support policies requiring circle hooks and bycatch reduction gear in longline fisheries
Advocate for observer coverage requirements enabling bycatch monitoring and enforcement
Support sea turtle conservation organizations working on bycatch reduction