Marine Wildlife

Sea Turtle Bycatch and Entanglement

Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles are accidentally caught in fishing gear each year, representing one of the greatest threats to their survival.

Key Facts

All seven sea turtle species are listed as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered
Longlines, gillnets, and trawls are the primary bycatch threats to turtles
Circle hooks reduce sea turtle bycatch by up to 90% compared to J-hooks
Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) in shrimp trawls can reduce turtle catch by 97%
The leatherback sea turtle has declined by over 95% in the Pacific since the 1980s

Welfare Considerations

Entanglement in fishing gear causes drowning in air-breathing sea turtles, along with severe physical injuries from lines cutting into flippers and necks. Turtles hooked by longlines often suffer for extended periods before being hauled aboard. Even when released alive, sub-lethal injuries can cause delayed mortality. Bycatch interacts with other stressors — climate change, nesting beach loss, plastic ingestion — to drive population declines.

What You Can Do

Support sustainable seafood certifications that require turtle-safe fishing gear
Advocate for mandatory TEDs in shrimp fisheries worldwide
Reduce plastic use to protect sea turtle feeding and nesting habitat
Support organizations monitoring sea turtle populations and nesting beaches
Choose seafood caught by methods with low bycatch rates