The welfare of fish and other marine animals caught commercially depends significantly on the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of fishing vessel crews, who make critical decisions about handling and discard practices.
The welfare of marine animals in commercial fishing depends substantially on the knowledge and decisions of fishing crews operating with limited oversight at sea. Training fishers in species identification, selective gear use, careful handling, and rapid release or humane dispatch for bycatch species can meaningfully reduce welfare harm. Incentive structures that reward reduced bycatch and better handling complement training by aligning economic and welfare interests.