Sea Turtle Bycatch Welfare | Animal Welfare Hub

Sea turtles are among the most charismatic marine species impacted by fisheries bycatch, with millions caught and hundreds of thousands killed accidentally each year.

Key Facts

An estimated 250,000 sea turtles are incidentally captured in longline fisheries annually
All seven sea turtle species are classified as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered
Turtles caught in nets can drown within minutes if unable to surface
Circle hooks reduce sea turtle bycatch by 60-90% compared to J-hooks in longline fisheries
Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) in trawl nets reduce turtle bycatch by over 90%
Entanglement in ghost fishing gear kills additional thousands of turtles annually

Welfare Considerations

Sea turtles caught in fishing gear experience acute distress: animals that have evolved to breathe air drown when entangled and unable to surface, while longline-hooked turtles suffer from hook wounds, ingestion injuries, and exhaustion from struggling. These are charismatic species whose individual suffering occurs thousands of times annually. Technical solutions exist and are proven - TEDs and circle hooks reduce bycatch dramatically - but adoption is inconsistent globally. Consumer demand for sustainably caught seafood and international fisheries agreements drive the fastest progress.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood with Marine Stewardship Council certification which includes bycatch standards
Avoid shrimp from fisheries without mandatory TED requirements
Support campaigns for circle hook adoption in international longline fisheries
Donate to sea turtle conservation and bycatch reduction research organisations
Advocate for ghost fishing gear removal programmes in your region