Marine Animal Welfare

Sea Turtle Conservation and Fishing Gear

Sea turtles are entangled and drowned in fishing gear at devastating rates. Turtle excluder devices and circle hooks significantly reduce mortality.

Key Facts

An estimated 250,000 loggerhead and leatherback sea turtles are killed in longlines annually
Turtle excluder devices (TEDs) in trawl nets allow turtles to escape without reducing fish catch significantly
Circle hooks in longline fisheries reduce turtle hookup rates by 60-90% compared to J-hooks
Many countries with sea turtle populations lack TED requirements or do not enforce them
Voluntary adoption of turtle-friendly gear by fishing communities is often slower than mandated adoption

Welfare Considerations

Sea turtle bycatch welfare impact is severe - drowning or deep hookups cause prolonged suffering before death. The scale of the problem is enormous, yet effective technological solutions have been available for decades. The gap between what technology allows and what regulation requires represents a political failure with significant welfare consequences for one of the ocean's most charismatic species.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood from fisheries certified as turtle-safe with TEDs and circle hooks
Advocate for mandatory TED requirements in shrimp trawl fisheries globally
Support sea turtle conservation organizations working on bycatch reduction and beach protection
Report illegal or unreported shrimp trawling in protected areas to relevant authorities