Bycatch
It is estimated more than 300,000 whales, dolphins and porpoises die from entanglement in fishing nets each year, making this the single largest cause of mortality for small cetaceans.
PHOTO: @naturepl.com / David Tipling / WWF
Wherever there is fishing, there is bycatch – the incidental capture of non-target species, including whales, dolphins and porpoises.
Thousands of miles of nets and lines are set in the world's oceans each day. Modern fishing gear, often undetectable by sight and extremely strong, is efficient at catching the desired fish species – as well as anything else in its path. A staggering amount of marine life is hauled up with the catch, and then discarded overboard dead or dying.
Numerous studies show a direct link between declining whale, dolphin and porpoise population numbers and interactions with fishing gear, yet not enough is being been done to determine how to stop this unwanted and unnecessary cause of death.
Fisheries bycatch is causing unsustainable levels of injury and mortality to endangered North Atlantic right whales, the critically endangered vaquita in Mexico and Maui dolphin in New Zealand, and many other coastal cetacean populations around the world. For the Yangtze River dolphin in China, fisheries bycatch was a leading factor in its recent extinction.
Proven solutions to reduce bycatch do exist and others are being discovered. Together with our partners, WWF is developing, testing and implementing alternative fishing gear, integrating conservation science into effective fisheries management and working to strengthen legislation on bycatch.
Species such as the Māui dolphin from
New Zealand face extinction if the threat of unselective fishing gear is not eliminated.”
Photo: University of Auckland
WWF in action
Establishing guidelines
While WWF prioritizes efforts to eliminate bycatch, we also work to minimize its impacts. We collaborated with partners to develop Guidelines for the Safe and Humane Handling and Release of Bycaught Small Cetaceans from Fishing Gear.
New tech to monitor bycatch
In Peru, we’re working with fishers to test acoustic alarms (‘pingers’) on artisanal gillnets, and trialling onboard cameras and electronic logbooks with industrial anchoveta fishing crew to better monitor and reduce bycatch.
Fishers and researchers collaborate
In Pakistan, we’re training fishing vessel captains to collect data on bycatch, release whales and dolphins safely when they can, and collaborate with researchers to test new ways of deploying their gear to reduce dolphin bycatch.
Protecting endangered species
In Korea, we’re working with fisheries and government to reduce fisheries bycatch of the Endangered Narrow-ridged finless porpoise.