ISSF supports multiple initiatives to help track and mitigate the bycatch of sea turtles, especially in longline fisheries. Many sea turtle populations are in decline, including from fishing pressure, and species are protected by national and international treaties and regulations.
When sea turtles are incidentally caught in purse-seine fisheries, their mortality is low: more than 90% can be released alive into the water.
In longline fishing, sea-turtle bycatch rates and survival are greater concerns — and a priority for ISSF and other NGO conservation efforts.
OUR RESEARCH & ADVOCACY
Turtle Nesting Projects
Among the strategies to help protect sea turtle populations, nesting conservation projects can have one of the largest positive impacts.
Nest destruction represents an additional mortality threat to sea turtles and has many causes, including:
- Over-harvest of eggs for human consumption
- Predation by feral pigs and dogs
- Habitat degradation due to development, deforestation, pollution, and other human activities
ISSF supports sea turtle research, conservation, and educational projects worldwide — including in Brazil, Tanzania, Peru, and Oman — through a more than $100,000 annual fund created by several ISSF participating companies: Bumble Bee, Thai Union/COSI, TriMarine, and StarKist.
Bycatch Prevention Strategies
We have researched tuna fishing’s impacts on sea turtles and reviewed the management measures adopted by RFMOs to mitigate these impacts. Our bycatch management strategy report also defines “inputs” or considerations for mitigating marine turtle bycatch.
Tuna fishers can modify their gear and fishing practices, through “passive mitigation” approaches, to reduce the risk of incidentally catching sea turtles. Longline fishers, for instance, can reduce sea turtle interactions by using wide circle hooks and fish bait to attract tuna, and set hooks at certain depths.
Our netting-free jelly-FAD design can help fishers to avoid the turtle entanglement that is a risk when conventional netting-based FADs are used.
Bycatch Handling & Release Techniques
To help researchers identify and disseminate best practices in sea turtle handling and release, longline tuna fishers and observers have shared their knowledge on effective tools and approaches in ISSF-sponsored workshops.
In ISSF guidebooks, infographics and posters, and scientific reports, we outline steps that fishers can follow to safely untangle or de-hook sea turtles, monitor their rest and recovery on deck, and release them into the water.
We also have compiled turtle species identification resources by ocean.
RFMO Advocacy
To inform Regional Fisheries Management Organization (RFMO) requirements for fleets, ISSF shares science-based recommendations to mitigate sea turtle bycatch through an array of outreach efforts — including position statements to guide RFMO policy discussions.
We also evaluate RFMO FAD management measures, including FAD recovery policies to prevent ghost fishing, that can help to protect sea turtles.
SEA TURTLE CONSERVATION PROJECTS TO DATE
RELATED RESOURCES
Jelly-FAD Construction Guide
We created an illustrated guide that gives tuna fishers step-by-step instructions for building jelly-FADs — a new model for non-entangling, biodegradable FADs.
Species Identification Guides
Sea Turtle Handling Videos
On our YouTube channel, we offer sea turtle videos for longline fishers in several languages.
These videos demonstrate techniques to safely remove fishing hooks from incidentally caught sea turtles to give them the best chance of survival.
