Wild Sea Turtle Bycatch and Welfare

Sea turtles are frequently caught unintentionally in fishing gear, causing suffering and death for these ancient, slow-reproducing animals. Understanding bycatch is essential to turtle conservation.

Key Facts

All seven sea turtle species are classified as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered
An estimated 250,000 sea turtles are caught as bycatch annually in longline fisheries alone
Turtles captured on longlines can be drowned before lines are hauled, or suffer hook injuries
Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) in shrimp trawls have dramatically reduced turtle bycatch in regulated fisheries
Circle hooks on longlines are significantly less likely to be fatally ingested by sea turtles than J-hooks
Ghost fishing gear - lost or abandoned nets and lines - continues catching turtles for years
The Leatherback sea turtle, the largest reptile on Earth, faces particularly high bycatch mortality

Welfare Considerations

Sea turtle bycatch represents both a conservation catastrophe and an animal welfare crisis. Turtles caught on longlines may be dragged through the water for hours before drowning, or may survive the capture only to die from hook injuries or internal damage. Turtles entangled in gillnets and trawls experience acute stress and drowning. The welfare suffering of individual turtles must be recognized alongside the conservation concern for these ancient animals whose slow reproduction makes every individual's survival crucial. Solutions including circle hooks, TEDs, and modified fishing practices can dramatically reduce both the conservation impact and the welfare suffering of sea turtle bycatch.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood certified by programs with bycatch reduction standards (MSC and others)
Support organizations working on fishing gear modifications to reduce sea turtle bycatch
Participate in or donate to beach monitoring programs that protect turtle nesting sites
Advocate for stronger bycatch reduction requirements in fishing regulations
Reduce seafood consumption from fisheries with poor sea turtle bycatch records
Report discarded or lost fishing gear near coastal areas to relevant authorities