Loggerhead and leatherback sea turtles occur in UK waters and are vulnerable to incidental capture in fishing gear. Understanding bycatch impacts and solutions protects these globally threatened animals.
Marine turtle bycatch welfare impacts are severe - a turtle entangled in fishing line and dragged below the surface drowns over minutes, experiencing hypoxia and terror. Turtles that surface and are found alive often have entanglement injuries including severed flippers, rope cuts and internal injuries from the drag of fishing gear. Cold stunning causes a progressive hypothermic collapse that, if not treated, ends in death. Each of these outcomes represents significant individual suffering. Practical solutions - circle hooks, time-area closures, turtle excluder devices - can meaningfully reduce bycatch without prohibitive economic cost.