Sea turtles are among the most commonly bycaught marine species. Entanglement in fishing gear causes distress and death for hundreds of thousands of individuals annually.
Sea turtle bycatch involves genuine suffering at multiple stages: the distress of entanglement or hooking, the terror of being held underwater on a longline, and in many cases a prolonged drowning death. Individual turtles that survive capture experience physical injury from hooks and handling. The welfare case for bycatch mitigation technology — TEDs, circle hooks, time-area fishing closures — is therefore both conservation and welfare driven. Fisheries where these tools are mandatory have demonstrated significant bycatch reductions without prohibitive economic costs. The persistent challenge is extending these measures to fisheries operating outside strong regulatory frameworks, including much of the developing world's artisanal and small-scale sector, where turtles remain highly vulnerable. Consumer choices about seafood sourcing create market incentives for better-regulated fisheries.