Wild Albatross Bycatch Welfare | Animal Welfare Hub

Welfare and conservation impacts of bycatch on albatross populations, examining longline fishing entanglement, the suffering caused by drowning and hook injuries, and the highly effective mitigation measures available.

Key Facts

Albatross are among the world's most endangered seabirds, with 15 of 22 species threatened primarily by bycatch
Approximately 100,000 albatross are killed annually as longline fishing bycatch despite available mitigation technology
Albatross drawn to bait on longline hooks become entangled and drown when the line sinks — a slow, stressful death
Three mitigation measures — night setting, bird-scaring lines, and weighted lines to sink hooks faster — reduce bycatch by 95%
The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) coordinates international mitigation efforts
Albatross pair for life and raise single chicks over multiple months — bycatch deaths disrupt breeding pairs for years
Some albatross populations have declined by 50-80% from bycatch, threatening species viability

Welfare Considerations

Albatross bycatch is one of the most preventable large-scale welfare harms in the marine environment. These are intelligent, long-lived, socially bonded birds whose entanglement in longline fishing gear causes drowning deaths that are prolonged and terrifying — a welfare harm that is completely avoidable with available mitigation technology. The tragedy is that the three most effective mitigation measures cost minimal additional effort and are reliably effective — the barrier is compliance and enforcement, not technology. Every albatross death on a longline is a preventable welfare failure. Consumer seafood choices that support fisheries with documented bycatch mitigation, combined with advocacy for international enforcement of mitigation requirements, are the most effective welfare interventions available.

What You Can Do

Choose longline-caught tuna and swordfish certified under MSC and other schemes requiring albatross bycatch mitigation
Ask seafood suppliers and restaurants specifically about albatross bycatch mitigation in their longline fishery supply chains
Support Save the Albatross and similar organizations advocating for universal longline bycatch mitigation
Advocate for international agreements requiring verified bycatch mitigation in all longline fisheries
Learn about the ecology and conservation of albatross species to become an informed advocate for their welfare
Support port-side monitoring programs that verify mitigation device use in fisheries operating in albatross habitat