Seabirds including albatrosses, petrels, and gannets are caught and drowned as bycatch in longline and net fisheries worldwide, representing a major welfare problem for already-declining populations.
Seabird bycatch deaths involve significant welfare suffering. Seabirds diving for bait on longlines become hooked and dragged underwater, where air-breathing birds drown over minutes. Net entanglement similarly results in prolonged drowning. Surviving entanglement causes wing injuries that prevent flight, effectively a death sentence for pelagic species. The welfare harm is compounded by population-level impacts - albatrosses breed very slowly, meaning bycatch mortality drives entire species toward extinction. Proven technical solutions including underwater bait setting, bird-scaring lines, and night-setting significantly reduce bycatch when adopted.