Wildlife

Marine Turtle Bycatch and Entanglement

All seven sea turtle species are threatened by incidental capture in fishing gear, making bycatch reduction a critical conservation and welfare priority.

Key Facts

An estimated 85,000 sea turtles are accidentally caught annually in longline fisheries
Entanglement in ghost gear can cause slow drowning, starvation, or limb loss
Circle hooks and fish bait rather than squid reduce turtle bycatch by up to 90% in some fisheries
Leatherback turtles are particularly vulnerable to entanglement due to their swimming style

Welfare Considerations

Bycatch causes significant acute suffering: turtles can drown within minutes if unable to surface, while entanglement in debris causes prolonged wounds and starvation. Even released turtles may suffer lasting physiological stress. Gear modification technologies have proven effective but remain unevenly adopted.

What You Can Do

Support seafood certification schemes that include bycatch reduction requirements
Advocate for mandatory use of turtle excluder devices on trawl nets
Remove marine debris when you encounter it on beaches
Support sea turtle rehabilitation centers that treat bycatch survivors
Urge your government to fund observer programs on fishing vessels