Seabird Bycatch in Longline Fisheries: Mitigation Progress

Longline fishing causes enormous seabird bycatch globally, but proven mitigation measures can dramatically reduce this mortality when properly implemented.

Key Facts

An estimated 160,000-320,000 seabirds are killed annually in longline fisheries, including critically endangered albatrosses
Albatrosses and petrels dive for bait as lines are set, become hooked and drown
Tori lines (bird-scaring streamers), blue-dyed bait and night setting are among the most effective mitigation measures
The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) coordinates international mitigation efforts
Some fisheries have achieved 90%+ reductions in seabird bycatch through mandatory use of multiple simultaneous mitigation measures

Welfare Considerations

Seabird bycatch causes drowning - a deeply aversive experience accompanied by intense struggling, oxygen deprivation and panic before death. Many birds are also caught and released alive but with severe injuries that cause prolonged suffering and eventual death. The welfare case for mitigation is clear: these are intelligent, long-lived birds with complex social lives and population dynamics highly sensitive to adult mortality. The good news is that effective mitigation exists and is being implemented in progressive fisheries - the barrier is compliance and enforcement in fisheries without monitoring or accountability.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood with Marine Stewardship Council certification from fisheries with documented seabird mitigation
Support BirdLife International's Save the Albatross campaign
Advocate for mandatory observer coverage in longline fisheries to monitor bycatch
Ask your seafood retailer what seabird bycatch mitigation requirements they apply to suppliers