Dolphin Bycatch Reduction in Commercial Fisheries

How fishing gear modifications and management measures can reduce dolphin bycatch and its welfare and conservation impacts.

Key Facts

Common dolphin bycatch in European pair trawl fisheries kills thousands of individuals annually.
Acoustic deterrents called pingers reduce dolphin bycatch but dolphins learn to associate them with food.
Observer coverage is required to accurately measure bycatch rates but remains limited in many fisheries.
Time-area closures during peak dolphin aggregation reduce bycatch without requiring gear modifications.
Fishers trained in dolphin safe release techniques improve survival rates for entangled individuals.
Bycatch reduction devices in tuna purse seine nets have dramatically reduced dolphin mortality since the 1990s.

Welfare Considerations

Dolphin bycatch causes drowning for air-breathing mammals trapped underwater in fishing gear, a prolonged and distressing death. The welfare impact of thousands of dolphin deaths annually in European fisheries alone is significant and represents a preventable harm. Acoustic deterrents, gear modifications, and fishing practice changes can reduce bycatch substantially but require regulatory mandates to achieve industry-wide adoption. Observer programs that accurately document bycatch rates create accountability for improvement and identify high-risk fisheries and fishing methods. Consumer choices for ecolabeled seafood from fisheries with demonstrated low bycatch rates create market incentives that complement regulatory approaches.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood from fisheries certified to have low dolphin bycatch rates.
Support mandatory observer programs in fisheries with known dolphin bycatch problems.
Advocate for bycatch reduction measures as mandatory requirements rather than voluntary guidelines.
Learn about dolphin bycatch issues to support informed advocacy for fishing practice reform.