Gillnet fisheries incidentally capture and drown thousands of dolphins, porpoises, and seals annually, representing one of the greatest direct threats to marine mammal welfare.
Marine mammals caught in gillnets experience a terrifying and prolonged death by drowning. They become entangled in near-invisible netting, exhaust themselves struggling to surface, and suffocate over minutes to hours. Beyond acute suffering, bycatch causes population-level damage to cetacean species, particularly those with slow reproductive rates. The technology to dramatically reduce this suffering exists but implementation requires regulatory pressure and fisheries cooperation.