Wild Sea Turtle Bycatch and Fishing Gear

Bycatch in fishing gear is a leading cause of sea turtle mortality globally, with solutions including TEDs and circle hooks proven to reduce capture.

Key Facts

All seven sea turtle species are threatened or endangered with bycatch as a primary mortality source
Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) in shrimp trawls reduce turtle capture by over 97% with minimal shrimp loss
Circle hooks reduce loggerhead and leatherback capture in longline fisheries by up to 90%
Drowned sea turtles found on beaches indicate active longline or trawl fisheries in offshore areas
Ghost fishing gear - lost or abandoned nets - continues trapping and drowning sea turtles for years
The Wider Caribbean Region requires TED use in trawl fisheries, but enforcement varies
Turtle rescue and rehabilitation programs treat hundreds of drowned and injured turtles annually

Welfare Considerations

Sea turtles drowned in fishing gear experience prolonged hypoxic distress before death. Turtles entangled in ghost gear may remain trapped for days or weeks, unable to surface, slowly starving and becoming exhausted. Rehabilitation of bycatch survivors often requires treating pneumonia from near-drowning and physical injuries from entanglement. TEDs and circle hooks are proven welfare and conservation solutions with minimal impact on target fisheries.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood certified by fisheries with verified bycatch reduction protocols including TEDs
Support Sea Turtle Conservancy and similar organizations advocating for bycatch reduction
Advocate for mandatory TED use in all trawl fisheries and circle hook requirements in longlines
Participate in or donate to ghost gear removal programs in turtle nesting beach areas
Report entangled turtles to local wildlife authorities for rescue
Support research into innovative bycatch reduction technologies for high-risk fishing gear types