Wildlife

Wild Marine Turtle Bycatch Welfare

The welfare impacts of sea turtle bycatch in longline and trawl fisheries and mitigation approaches.

Key Facts

Sea turtles are caught as bycatch in longline, trawl, and gillnet fisheries globally
Drowning in gillnets and longlines causes suffering and death for thousands of turtles annually
Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) reduce turtle bycatch in shrimp trawls effectively
Circle hooks reduce leatherback bycatch in longline fisheries compared to J-hooks
Mandatory TEDs and hook modifications in certified fisheries have reduced bycatch substantially

Welfare Considerations

Bycatch drowning causes death by asphyxiation for turtles, which breathe air. Each drowned turtle represents direct, preventable suffering. The technical solutions exist - implementation requires regulatory will and fishing industry compliance.

What You Can Do

Support seafood certification schemes that require bycatch mitigation including TEDs
Advocate for mandatory circle hook requirements in longline fisheries
Choose seafood from MSC-certified fisheries with verified bycatch mitigation