Bycatch (or by-catch), in the fishing industry, is a fish or other marine species that is caught unintentionally while fishing for specific species or sizes of wildlife.

Bycatch—the incidental capture of non-target species during fishing—is a major problem. Preventing bycatch with modern solutions protects marine environments.

Bycatch is a complex, global issue that threatens the sustainability and resiliency of our fishing communities, economies, and ocean ecosystems. Bycatch of protected species, such as sea turtles and marine mammals, remains a significant threat to recovering dwindling populations.

Fisheries bycatch is a threat to marine mammals worldwide. Bycatch occurs when marine mammals are incidentally caught in fishing gear (e.g., hooked, entangled, or trapped) or when they eat bait or catch.

Jul 24, 2024 · Bycatch is a term often used in marine conservation that refers to the marine life unintentionally captured by or entangled in commercial fishing equipment, including gill nets, shrimp trawls, and longline gear.

Credit: iStock Funding Bycatch Reduction Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program Annual Report to Congress, 2021 (PDF, 14 pages) Bycatch occurs when fishermen discard catch of marine species, or when resources like marine mammals, seabirds, or protected fish are harmed or killed by fishing gear. Reducing bycatch in fisheries can improve the recovery of protected …

Bycatch is fish or other species caught unintentionally by fishers. Bycatch can be hard to avoid where species swim together. Good management can reduce it.

Dec 1, 2023 · Bycatch are all of the nontarget species of marine life that are scooped up in fishing nets or on hooks in addition to the target fish. Bycatch can include a range of different animals, from fish to seabirds and even whales. Bycatch causes serious physical harm — and often death — in marine life.

In some fisheries, the percentage of bycatch far outweighs the amount of target catch. For example, for every shrimp caught by nets dragged behind trawls in the Gulf of Mexico, over four times its weight is bycatch. There are many cases illustrating the devastating impact of bycatch.

Apr 13, 2021 · A dead shark strangled by a fishing net. Bycatch includes any marine life that is caught unintentionally as a result of fishing or netting. Bycatch is the leading cause of death to small whales, dolphins and other porpoises. The leading causes of bycatch are longlines, gill nets and trawl fishing.