Bycatch Welfare: Non-Target Species in Commercial Fishing

Commercial fishing bycatch includes billions of non-target animals annually — fish, seabirds, marine mammals and sea turtles — all experiencing welfare harms from capture, injury and death.

Key Facts

Global bycatch is estimated at 40% of total marine catch, representing approximately 38 million tonnes annually
Dolphins caught in tuna purse seine nets may suffer for hours before dying from exhaustion or drowning
Sea turtle bycatch from shrimp trawling has been significantly reduced by mandatory Turtle Excluder Devices in US fisheries
Seabird bycatch on longlines can be reduced by 90% using bird-scaring lines and weighted hooks
Discarded bycatch fish experience the same barotrauma, exhaustion and suffocation as landed target species

Welfare Considerations

Bycatch welfare is one of the largest and most neglected welfare issues associated with human food production. The welfare harms experienced by bycatch animals — drowning, barotrauma, exhaustion, suffocation, crushing and injury — affect billions of individuals annually. These animals experience genuine suffering, yet their deaths are treated as an acceptable economic externality of commercial fishing. Technical solutions exist for reducing bycatch of most species: Turtle Excluder Devices for sea turtles, bird-scaring lines for seabirds, acoustic deterrents for dolphins. Implementation requires regulation, enforcement and consumer pressure through certification scheme requirements.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood certified by schemes requiring bycatch monitoring and mitigation measures
Support environmental organizations campaigning for mandatory bycatch reduction technology
Advocate for all commercial fishing vessels to report bycatch species and quantities
Reduce seafood consumption from fishing methods with high bycatch rates including bottom trawling and purse seine tuna