Marine Mammal Bycatch and Drowning Mortality

Accidental entanglement in fishing gear kills hundreds of thousands of marine mammals annually, representing both a conservation crisis and a major source of acute animal suffering.

Key Facts

Bycatch drowning kills an estimated 650,000 marine mammals annually including whales, dolphins, and seals
The vaquita porpoise in the Gulf of California has been driven to near-extinction by gillnet bycatch
Sea turtles, seabirds, and sharks are also killed in enormous numbers as bycatch
Pingers — acoustic devices that deter dolphins from nets — reduce dolphin bycatch by up to 94%
Circle hooks reduce sea turtle bycatch from longline fisheries by up to 90%
Bycatch observer programs provide data essential for monitoring and improving fishing practices

Welfare Considerations

Bycatch drowning is among the most acute forms of welfare harm inflicted on wild animals by human activity. Marine mammals caught in fishing gear experience prolonged struggling before drowning — a process that can take minutes to hours. The scale is vast and largely invisible to consumers. Technological solutions exist that dramatically reduce bycatch for targeted species without significantly impacting target catch efficiency. The barrier to adoption is economic and regulatory, not technical. Consumer choices, fishery certification standards, and regulatory requirements for bycatch reduction technology are the most direct levers available.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood certified by schemes with strong bycatch reduction requirements
Support Dolphin Safe and Turtle Safe fishing certifications with verified monitoring
Advocate for mandatory bycatch reduction technology requirements in commercial fisheries
Reduce seafood consumption to decrease overall pressure on marine ecosystems
Support marine conservation organizations working on bycatch reduction
Advocate for stronger independent bycatch monitoring in fishery management