Bycatch

Bycatch by Region:

Northeast
Southeast
Northwest
Southwest
Pacific Islands
Alaska

Related Links:

NOAA Fisheries Bycatch Program

Although America’s fisheries have been an important part of our economy and culture for generations, there are unintentional repercussions for marine life. NOAA works with the fishing industry to collect data on bycatch – the non-target fish, marine mammals, sea turtles, and seabirds caught incidentally in fishing. Preventing and reducing bycatch is an important part of ensuring sustainable fisheries.

News and Announcements

Sept. 22: First national bycatch report establishes methodology, baseline for future studies

A new NOAA report will help the agency’s scientists monitor progress in reducing bycatch – the non-target fish, marine mammals, sea turtles, and seabirds caught incidentally in fishing. Bycatch costs fishermen time and money, makes it more difficult to understand the total impact of human activities on the ecosystem, and negatively impacts populations, including endangered and threatened species. Previenting and reducing bycatch is an important part of ensuring sustainable living marine resources. More..

About the Report

The National Bycatch Report is an unprecedented, nationwide look at our efforts to monitor and estimate bycatch in federal commercial fisheries. This report:

• Establishes a baseline of data and methods for evaluating improvements to NOAA Fisheries bycatch assessment and mitigation;
  
• Provides estimates of bycatch at the fishery and species level;
  
• Identifies actions to enhance existing bycatch data collection and estimation; and
  
• Recommends actions to develop bycatch estimates for more of the nation’s fisheries.