Small-scale coastal fishing communities practice traditional fishing methods that affect marine animal welfare, with impacts ranging from highly selective to broadly harmful.
Coastal fishing community welfare involves both the welfare of marine animals caught and the welfare of human fishing communities whose livelihoods depend on fish. Traditional hook-and-line methods are more selective and cause less welfare harm than industrial trawling practiced at similar scale. Some coastal communities have maintained cultural practices of live release and size restrictions that functionally protect fish populations. Supporting sustainable coastal fishing transitions that maintain livelihoods while reducing welfare harm to marine animals requires investment in alternative livelihoods, certification programs that reward selective methods, and market access for sustainably caught products.