Marine Animal Welfare

Marine Turtle Bycatch Mitigation Advanced

Advanced bycatch mitigation technologies and practices have achieved significant reductions in marine turtle bycatch across multiple fishery types, with ongoing innovation needed.

Key Facts

Turtle Excluder Devices are mandatory in US shrimp trawl fisheries and have significantly reduced mortality
LED lights on gillnets reduce sea turtle entanglement by up to 70% in some studies
Circle hooks reduce loggerhead turtle longline bycatch compared to J-hooks
Observer programmes provide data to identify high-bycatch areas and seasons
Pingers on gillnets help some species but effectiveness varies across turtle species

Welfare Considerations

Marine turtle bycatch mitigation technologies have demonstrated that substantial welfare improvements are achievable in fishing fleets. Expanding adoption of proven technologies and continuing innovation for challenging fishery types is an ethical imperative given the welfare impacts of entanglement and capture stress on individual turtles.

What You Can Do

Support sustainable seafood certifications that include turtle bycatch standards
Learn about turtle excluder devices and their effectiveness
Advocate for mandatory bycatch mitigation requirements in global fisheries agreements