Wildlife

Sea Turtle Welfare and Bycatch in Fisheries

All seven sea turtle species face welfare threats from entanglement in fishing gear, with bycatch being the primary human-caused mortality driver for most populations.

Key Facts

All 7 species of sea turtle are listed as threatened or endangered
Longline fisheries entangle and drown sea turtles seeking hooked fish
Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) reduce bycatch mortality in trawl fisheries
Cold stunning in winter affects loggerhead turtles in Atlantic coastal waters
Nesting beach degradation from light pollution and development reduces reproductive success

Welfare Considerations

Entanglement in fishing gear causes drowning of air-breathing turtles. Long-lining causes internal injury from hook ingestion and line entanglement. Cold stunning events cause mass stranding of comatose turtles requiring intensive rehabilitation. Bycatch mortality rates remain unacceptably high despite available mitigation technologies.

What You Can Do

Support Sea Turtle Conservancy bycatch reduction campaigns
Choose seafood from fisheries with TED requirements and low bycatch rates
Donate to sea turtle rehabilitation facilities
Advocate for mandatory TED use in trawl fisheries globally