Seabirds including albatrosses and petrels are caught and drowned on longline hooks at a rate threatening multiple species, yet proven mitigation measures are underimplemented globally.
Seabirds that strike longline hooks experience drowning as the line pulls them below the surface. For long-lived species like albatrosses that form strong pair bonds and raise single chicks over years, the welfare and conservation implications of bycatch mortality compound over time. The mitigation measures available — tori lines, weighting hooks to sink quickly below bird diving depth, setting lines at night — are inexpensive relative to the welfare and conservation value of preventing seabird deaths. The primary barrier to broader adoption is industry compliance rather than technical feasibility.