Sea Turtle Bycatch: Prevention Technologies

How innovations in fishing gear technology are reducing sea turtle bycatch and what the most promising current approaches are.

Key Facts

LED illuminated nets reduce sea turtle bycatch by providing visual warning of net presence at night
Modified hook shapes and bait types significantly reduce turtle bycatch in longline fisheries
Acoustic pingers reduce dolphin bycatch in gillnets and may have similar application for sea turtles
Selective bycatch release devices allow sorting at sea with reduced injury to released turtles
Real-time satellite tracking of sea turtle movements can guide fishing vessels away from aggregation areas

Welfare Considerations

Bycatch prevention technology has advanced substantially, providing a growing toolkit of gear modifications, spatial management tools, and operational practices that reduce sea turtle capture without eliminating fishing productivity. The most promising recent development is LED net illumination, which is low-cost, easy to implement, and has demonstrated 40-70% bycatch reductions in trials. The challenge is driving adoption at scale: effective technologies only help turtles if they are used by the vessels that operate in sea turtle habitat. Financial incentives, gear subsidy programmes, and regulatory requirements are all mechanisms that have successfully driven adoption in different contexts.

What You Can Do

Support MSC-certified fisheries that require bycatch monitoring and gear modification for sea turtle protection
Donate to World Wildlife Fund and Sea Turtle Conservancy bycatch reduction programmes
Advocate for LED illuminated net requirements in gillnet fisheries operating in sea turtle habitat
Support circle hook requirements in longline fisheries as a low-cost, high-effectiveness turtle bycatch reduction measure
Follow developments in sea turtle bycatch prevention technology through Fisheries Bycatch Research and similar sources