Prawn Trawl Bycatch Welfare and Mitigation

Prawn trawling catches enormous quantities of non-target species causing extensive bycatch mortality with significant welfare implications.

Key Facts

Prawn trawls can catch 4-10 kg of bycatch for every 1 kg of prawns
Common bycatch includes juvenile fish, sea turtles, seahorses and other invertebrates
Bycatch survival after discard depends on species, trawl depth and temperature
Turtle excluder devices and fish escape panels reduce bycatch significantly
Some prawn fisheries have achieved 90% reductions in bycatch through gear modification
Tropical prawn trawling generally has higher bycatch ratios than cold-water fisheries

Welfare Considerations

Prawn trawl bycatch represents one of the highest-scale welfare impacts in global fisheries. Animals caught as bycatch experience capture stress, compression in trawl nets and often die before or immediately after discard. Sea turtles protected by international law are still caught in significant numbers. The existence of effective technical solutions makes continued high bycatch even more welfare-concerning. Consumer choice can drive adoption of certified lower-bycatch prawn products.

What You Can Do

Choose prawns certified by MSC or equivalent with bycatch reduction requirements
Ask restaurants and retailers about bycatch standards for the prawns they source
Support campaigns for mandatory turtle excluder devices in all prawn trawl fisheries
Consider reducing consumption of wild-caught prawns