Wild Sea Turtle Bycatch Welfare | Animal Welfare Hub

Sea turtles face significant bycatch mortality in fishing gear globally. Understanding the scale and solutions enables effective conservation and welfare advocacy.

Key Facts

An estimated 250,000 sea turtles are captured as bycatch annually in global fisheries
Longline fishing hooks cause deep tissue injuries and drowning
Gillnets entangle and drown sea turtles that cannot surface to breathe
Turtle excluder devices in trawl nets reduce bycatch capture by over 90% when properly implemented
All seven sea turtle species are listed as threatened or endangered globally

Welfare Considerations

Sea turtles caught in fishing gear experience drowning, physical injury from hooks and net entanglement, and exhaustion from struggling to surface. Longline hooks in the oesophagus cause particularly severe welfare consequences. Turtles that survive bycatch capture but are returned to the water with hook injuries face prolonged suffering. Turtle excluder device use and area closures around nesting beaches during sensitive periods represent the most impactful interventions. Consumer choices about seafood certification support bycatch reduction.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood certified by schemes with verified bycatch reduction standards
Support organisations campaigning for mandatory turtle excluder device use globally
Report entangled or stranded sea turtles to marine wildlife rescue services immediately
Advocate for fishing exclusion zones around sea turtle nesting beaches
Support sea turtle conservation programmes in major nesting range countries