Sea Turtle Bycatch: Welfare and Conservation Solutions

How incidental capture in fishing gear harms sea turtles and what solutions are being developed to protect these ancient marine reptiles.

Key Facts

An estimated 250,000 sea turtles are captured as bycatch in longline fisheries each year
All seven species of sea turtle are classified as either vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered
Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) can reduce sea turtle capture in trawl nets by over 90%
Circle hooks instead of J-hooks significantly reduce sea turtle hookings in longline fisheries
Illuminated nets with LED lights have shown promise in reducing sea turtle bycatch at night

Welfare Considerations

Sea turtle bycatch causes significant welfare harm to individual animals and threatens the survival of species that have existed for over 100 million years. Turtles caught in nets can drown, and those that survive longline hooking often sustain serious injuries to flippers, throats, and internal organs. Even when turtles are released alive, many subsequently die from injuries or stress. The tragedy is that effective solutions exist — Turtle Excluder Devices, hook modifications, and gear innovations have all demonstrated effectiveness — but their adoption depends on regulation, enforcement, and fisheries cooperation.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, which requires bycatch reduction measures
Support organisations like Oceana, Sea Turtle Conservancy, and WWF working on bycatch reduction
Advocate for mandatory Turtle Excluder Device requirements in national and international fisheries regulation
Participate in beach clean-ups to reduce the additional threat of plastic entanglement for sea turtles
Learn about sea turtle conservation and share knowledge about the bycatch problem with others