Sharks and rays are caught as bycatch in gill nets worldwide, with many species now critically endangered partly due to incidental mortality in non-target fisheries.
Sharks and rays entangled in gill nets experience prolonged, distressing deaths. Sharks, being obligate swimmers, suffocate when unable to move water over their gills. Rays caught in nets struggle against entanglement for extended periods. The welfare harm is compounded by the conservation impact: for species like manta rays, already producing very few offspring, bycatch mortality pushes populations toward collapse. Solutions exist — net modifications, fishing exclusion zones around aggregation sites, acoustic deterrents, and bycatch monitoring programmes — but require regulatory mandate and compliance across diverse, often remote fishing operations.