The welfare implications of bycatch discards in commercial fisheries, where non-target species are caught and returned to sea dead or dying.
Bycatch discard welfare involves suffering at enormous scale — tens of millions of tonnes of non-target marine life caught, stressed, injured, and either returned to sea dying or retained and discarded at port. The welfare experience of bycatch includes the capture stress of gear contact and entanglement, pressure changes during hauling, air exposure, crushing by other catch, and inadequate water for gill-breathing fish retained on deck. Regulatory requirements to land bycatch, gear modifications that prevent non-target captures, and improved handling of discards that improve survival rates all reduce this suffering. The welfare case for bycatch reduction is reinforced by sustainability and conservation arguments, creating a compelling case for comprehensive gear reform.