Seabirds including albatrosses, petrels, and gannets are killed in large numbers as bycatch in longline and trawl fisheries, representing a major welfare and conservation challenge.
Seabird bycatch in fishing operations causes acute suffering at the point of capture - birds are hooked and drowned, or entangled in trawl wires. Beyond the immediate welfare impact, the scale of mortality threatens multiple species with extinction, eliminating entire population-level welfare indefinitely. The available mitigation measures are effective, affordable, and proven - their widespread adoption is primarily a matter of regulatory enforcement and fleet-level compliance. Consumer pressure on fisheries certification and government adoption of bycatch reduction requirements have driven progress, but seabird bycatch remains a major ongoing welfare and conservation crisis.