Sea turtles face significant mortality as bycatch in fishing operations worldwide, but effective technological solutions and policy frameworks can dramatically reduce these deaths.
Sea turtle bycatch represents one of the most solvable wildlife welfare and conservation problems. When sea turtles are caught in longlines, they often drown if they cannot reach the surface, or suffer injuries from hook ingestion. When caught in trawls, they drown in minutes without TEDs. The solutions exist: circle hooks, TEDs, modified fishing practices, and seasonal fishing closures in critical turtle habitats. What is needed is political will to implement and enforce these measures globally. Consumer pressure on seafood companies and governments can drive this change.