Marine Turtle Bycatch: Global Welfare and Conservation

Marine turtles are accidentally caught in fishing gear worldwide, causing suffering and death for millions of individuals from already endangered populations.

Key Facts

An estimated 250,000 loggerhead and leatherback turtles are caught as bycatch annually in longline fisheries
Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) in shrimp trawls reduce turtle capture by over 90% when properly installed and maintained
Circle hooks rather than J-hooks reduce sea turtle bycatch in longline fisheries by 60-90%
Cold stunning of loggerhead turtles in the northeast Atlantic is a growing welfare problem linked to climate change
Legal requirements for TEDs exist in multiple countries but enforcement remains inconsistent

Welfare Considerations

Bycatch mortality represents one of the largest welfare and conservation harms to marine turtle populations. Captured turtles may drown in nets, suffer hook injuries, or sustain barotrauma from rapid depth changes. Those that are released alive may carry injuries that cause delayed death. The tools to reduce bycatch substantially exist and are effective - TEDs, circle hooks, and area closures during nesting seasons. The gap between what is technically achievable and what is actually implemented represents a preventable welfare failure at population scale.

What You Can Do

Support MSC and similar certified sustainable seafood that excludes turtle-harmful fishing methods
Advocate for mandatory TED installation and monitoring in shrimp fisheries
Support organizations working on sea turtle bycatch reduction programs
Choose seafood suppliers with documented bycatch reduction policies
Learn about sea turtle conservation and the ongoing bycatch welfare crisis