Marine Wildlife

Marine Mammal Bycatch Mitigation Technology

Bycatch of marine mammals including dolphins, porpoises, and seals in fishing gear causes significant welfare harm and population-level impacts requiring technological solutions.

Key Facts

Hundreds of thousands of marine mammals die as bycatch in fishing gear annually worldwide
Acoustic deterrents called pingers are effective at reducing cetacean bycatch in gill nets
Weak links allow animals to break free from entanglement without releasing fish catch
Real-time observer programmes provide data but do not prevent bycatch
Fishing gear modification programmes have achieved significant bycatch reductions in pilot studies

Welfare Considerations

Entanglement in fishing gear causes drowning, exhaustion, injury, and prolonged death for marine mammals. Technological solutions that reduce bycatch rates address both welfare harm to individual animals and conservation impacts on populations.

What You Can Do

Support sustainable seafood certification schemes that require bycatch mitigation measures
Advocate for mandatory pinger use on gill nets in areas with high cetacean populations
Choose seafood from fisheries with verified low marine mammal bycatch rates