All seven species of marine turtle face threats from accidental capture in fishing gear. Bycatch causes significant suffering and mortality, but effective mitigation measures are available and increasingly adopted.
Marine turtle bycatch causes profound welfare harm in addition to its conservation impacts. Turtles entangled in nets or hooked on longlines experience prolonged struggling, injury, and in many cases drowning. Those brought to the surface alive are often cold-stunned, injured from struggling, or compromised from the barotrauma of rapid ascent. Even when released, many die from injuries or physiological stress within days. Welfare and conservation goals align strongly in this context: solutions that reduce capture rates benefit both individual turtles and population viability. Gear modifications proven to reduce capture include circle hooks, mackerel-type bait, TEDs in trawls, and seasonal or spatial fishing restrictions in nesting and feeding areas. Consumer pressure, ecolabeling requirements, and fisheries management regulations are all driving adoption of these measures.