Tens of thousands of seabirds, including albatrosses, are killed annually in longline fisheries, with straightforward mitigation measures capable of dramatically reducing deaths.
Seabirds caught on longlines typically drown after being dragged underwater, or are hooked and killed before they can surface. For long-lived, slow-reproducing species like albatrosses — which may live for 70 years and raise a single chick every two years — each death has disproportionate population impact. The welfare cost extends to breeding partners and chicks that lose their mate or parent. Mitigation technologies are cost-effective and proven. The barrier is compliance rather than technology — enforcement of mitigation requirements in international waters remains inconsistent.