Marine Animal Welfare

Marine Mammal Bycatch Prevention Technologies

Technological solutions including pingers, modified gear, and real-time monitoring are reducing cetacean and seal bycatch in commercial fisheries.

Key Facts

Acoustic pingers on gillnets reduce porpoise bycatch by up to 70%
SMART cables can detect marine mammals approaching gear and alert skippers
Weak links allow large cetaceans to break free from gear without net loss
Observer programs and electronic monitoring verify bycatch reduction compliance
The vaquita porpoise is near extinction partly due to gillnet bycatch

Welfare Considerations

Individual marine mammals caught in fishing gear drown in sustained stress and pain. Each technological advancement in bycatch prevention saves individual animal lives and prevents extinction of critically endangered populations.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood certified under schemes with bycatch monitoring requirements
Support fisheries technology innovation funds and marine conservation organizations
Advocate for mandatory pinger deployment on high-risk gillnet fisheries