Sea Lion Entanglement and Ghost Fishing Welfare

Ghost fishing gear entanglement causes severe injuries and slow death in sea lions and other marine mammals across Pacific and Atlantic coastlines.

Key Facts

An estimated 1,000 California sea lions are entangled in marine debris annually
Packing bands, fishing line, and net fragments cause progressive constricting injuries as sea lions grow
Entanglements around the neck cause permanent disfigurement even after removal
NOAA's Pacific Marine Mammal Center rescues and rehabilitates over 300 entangled pinnipeds annually
Ghost gear - abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing equipment - accounts for 46% of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Welfare Considerations

Sea lion entanglement injuries are among the most visually striking and emotionally affecting examples of human-caused animal suffering. Packing bands around the neck of young sea lions create deep wounds that worsen as the animal grows, eventually causing strangulation or severe infection. Rescue teams must sedate and physically cut away embedded material from animals that have lived with entanglement for months or years. Prevention through improved fishing gear design and retrieval programs is the most effective welfare intervention.

What You Can Do

Participate in beach and ocean cleanup events to remove ghost fishing gear
Support World Animal Protection's ghost gear removal and reporting programs
Never abandon fishing gear in the ocean - retrieve and dispose of it properly
Donate to NOAA and rehabilitation centers rescuing entangled marine mammals