Marine Mammal Bycatch Welfare | Animal Welfare Hub

Bycatch of marine mammals including dolphins, seals, and whales in fishing gear causes significant welfare harm and mortality. Reducing bycatch is a high-impact wildlife welfare intervention.

Key Facts

An estimated 300,000 whales, dolphins, and porpoises die annually in fishing gear
Gill nets are among the most indiscriminate fishing methods, entangling anything of appropriate size
Entangled animals may struggle for hours before drowning or being retrieved
The vaquita porpoise has fewer than 10 individuals remaining, primarily due to gillnet bycatch
Acoustic deterrents called pingers can reduce dolphin and porpoise bycatch significantly
Turtle excluder devices have substantially reduced sea turtle mortality in shrimp trawls

Welfare Considerations

Marine mammal bycatch causes acute suffering through entanglement and drowning, and chronic injury in animals that escape entanglement with fishing gear wrapped around flippers or bodies. Entangled marine mammals experience acute terror and physical exhaustion during struggle, and many drown after sustained entanglement. Preventive technologies including pingers, alternative gear types, and fishing area modifications reduce bycatch rates significantly when adopted. Regulatory requirements for bycatch reduction measures have achieved significant reductions in some fisheries. Consumer selection of sustainably certified fish that includes bycatch standards is a market mechanism supporting adoption of protective measures.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood certified to standards that include marine mammal bycatch monitoring and reduction
Support campaigns for mandatory pinger use and bycatch reduction devices in high-risk fisheries
Advocate for fishing area restrictions in critical marine mammal habitat and migration corridors
Donate to organizations monitoring and responding to entangled marine mammals