Marine Turtle Bycatch Welfare | Animal Welfare Hub

How bycatch of marine turtles in fishing gear causes severe welfare impacts and what mitigation measures can reduce turtle suffering.

Key Facts

All seven marine turtle species are threatened or endangered, with bycatch as a leading mortality cause
Turtles caught in longlines and gillnets drown if unable to surface to breathe
Circle hooks reduce turtle bycatch by over 80% compared to J-hooks in longline fisheries
Turtle excluder devices in shrimp trawls allow turtles to escape while retaining the catch
Turtles that survive capture often have internal hook injuries and diving behavior changes indicating welfare impacts

Welfare Considerations

Marine turtle bycatch causes both direct mortality through drowning and sub-lethal welfare impacts from ingested hooks, flipper injuries, and the physiological stress of capture. Survival after release does not mean welfare-neutral outcomes — turtles with internal hooks show altered behavior and reduced survival for months after release. Bycatch mitigation technologies including circle hooks, weak links, and turtle excluder devices have demonstrated effectiveness but implementation depends on regulatory mandates and observer coverage to enforce compliance.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood certified by schemes that require turtle bycatch mitigation measures
Support organizations monitoring and advocating for turtle excluder device use in shrimp trawls
Learn which seafood products commonly involve high turtle bycatch risk
Donate to marine turtle welfare and conservation organizations