Marine Wildlife

Sea Turtle Bycatch Reduction in Fishing Gear

Sea turtles are threatened by accidental entanglement in fishing gear worldwide, but practical solutions exist to reduce bycatch significantly.

Key Facts

All seven sea turtle species are threatened or endangered
Longline fishing and trawling are major bycatch threats
Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) reduce turtle deaths by over 97% in shrimp trawls
Circle hooks reduce loggerhead turtle bycatch in longlines by up to 90%
Mandatory TED use in US shrimp fisheries has saved millions of turtles

Welfare Considerations

Sea turtles caught in fishing gear drown if unable to reach the surface to breathe. Even when released alive, air embolism from rapid pressure changes causes delayed death. The availability of effective, inexpensive mitigation gear makes continued high bycatch rates particularly unacceptable.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood certified as turtle-safe or from TED-using fisheries
Support international agreements requiring bycatch reduction devices
Advocate for circle hook and TED requirements in national fisheries legislation