Wildlife

Welfare of Seabirds Affected by Fishing Bycatch

Seabirds including albatrosses, petrels, and puffins are among the most vulnerable bycatch victims in global fisheries, with populations plummeting from longline and trawl bycatch.

Key Facts

An estimated 300,000 seabirds are killed as bycatch annually, including 100,000 albatrosses
19 of 22 albatross species are now threatened with extinction primarily from longline bycatch
Puffin populations in the UK have declined by 30% since 2000 partly from prey fish depletion
Bird-scaring lines (tori lines) reduce seabird bycatch by over 70% in longline fisheries
The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels coordinates international bycatch reduction

Welfare Considerations

Seabird bycatch welfare involves drowning deaths of diving birds that become entangled in longlines or caught in trawl nets. Albatrosses are particularly vulnerable — they dive to take baited hooks and drown when the line sinks. Death is not immediate: birds drown over minutes. Simple, inexpensive interventions — weighted branch lines, bird-scaring streamers, night setting — prevent most deaths but require regulatory mandates to become universal in fisheries.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood certified under MSC or equivalent standards requiring seabird bycatch reduction
Support ACAP campaigns for international seabird bycatch reduction agreements
Donate to BirdLife International albatross conservation and fishery engagement programs
Advocate for mandatory bird-scaring device use in longline fisheries operating near seabird habitat