Turtle Bycatch in Trawl Fisheries: Scale and Solutions

Sea turtles are incidentally caught in trawl fisheries worldwide, causing drowning, injury, and population-level declines in threatened species.

Key Facts

An estimated 250,000 sea turtles are caught as bycatch annually in longlines and trawls globally
Loggerhead and leatherback turtles are most frequently captured in bottom and mid-water trawls
Drowning in trawls is the leading cause of sea turtle mortality in many ocean regions
Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) allow turtles to escape trawl nets with 97% effectiveness
TED adoption is legally required in some countries but poorly enforced in others
Post-release survival is often good if turtles are resuscitated quickly after capture

Welfare Considerations

Sea turtles caught in trawls experience extreme stress, exhaustion, and hypoxia from struggling against the net. Those that drown suffer painfully over minutes to hours. Even those brought to the surface alive may die from handling injuries or delayed physiological collapse. All seven sea turtle species are threatened or endangered, making bycatch a conservation crisis as well as a welfare emergency. Turtle Excluder Devices represent one of the most cost-effective conservation tools in marine fisheries management.

What You Can Do

Support organizations advocating for universal TED requirements and enforcement
Choose seafood certified by bycatch-reduction programs such as MSC or Monterey Bay recommendations
Avoid shrimp sourced from regions with poor bycatch regulations
Donate to sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation organizations