Marine Animals

Marine Turtle Bycatch in Fishing Gear: Global Scale and Solutions

All seven species of marine turtle are threatened, and bycatch in fishing gear is one of the most significant sources of human-caused mortality. Targeted solutions are available and increasingly adopted.

Key Facts

An estimated 250,000+ marine turtles are captured as bycatch annually
Longlines, gillnets, and trawls are the main capture methods
Leatherback turtles are particularly vulnerable to longline capture
Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) in trawls can reduce turtle capture by over 97%
LED illuminated gillnets significantly reduce turtle bycatch in some fisheries
Circle hooks reduce leatherback bycatch in longlines compared to J-hooks

Welfare Considerations

Turtles captured as bycatch and not returned to the water alive experience prolonged drowning, a highly aversive death. Even turtles that are released alive may suffer injury from hooks lodged in the throat or gut, and barotrauma from rapid pressure changes. The scale of this problem - hundreds of thousands of individuals annually - represents one of the most significant wildlife welfare issues in the marine environment.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood products from fisheries with verified bycatch reduction measures
Support certification schemes (MSC) that require bycatch monitoring
Advocate for TEDs to be mandatory in all trawl fisheries in turtle habitat
Support research into illuminated net technology and circle hook adoption
Report entangled or stranded turtles to the British Divers Marine Life Rescue