Additional supporting quotes:

Lucy Babey, Director of Programmes at ORCA, said: “For far too long, bycatch has been treated as a known problem rather than an urgent one. We have known for decades that whales, dolphins, porpoises, seabirds and seals are being accidentally caught and killed in UK fisheries, yet action has repeatedly failed to match the scale of the threat. This report shows the devastating consequences of that delay, with more than 1,000 cetaceans and over 10,000 seabirds estimated to die every year in UK waters. The solutions are not complex: we need legally binding Bycatch Action Plans, mandatory monitoring across the fleet, and a clear commitment from Government to stop these preventable deaths.”

Mark Owen, Head of Fisheries at the Angling Trust, said: “We are now starting to uncover the true impact that commercial fishing is having on our Atlantic salmon stocks at sea, a fish that has been recently designated as ‘endangered’ by the IUCN. Salmon angling is heavily regulated in the UK and it is time that the enforcement agencies acted on the commercial sector to save a species threatened with extinction.” 

Sarah Dolman, Senior Ocean Campaigner at EIA UK, said: “Fisheries bycatch in UK waters poses a serious threat to beloved marine wildlife, including death and severe injuries to more than a thousand dolphins, porpoises and whales every year, particularly in static nets. The UK government has the opportunity to lead the global standard to prevent bycatch, but despite knowing about and studying bycatch for decades, has so far failed to implement and enforce existing laws to protect marine wildlife from entanglement. More needs to be done to prevent bycatch of the UK’s protected species, including investing in alternative gears to those with the highest mortalities.”

Jack Renwick, Conservation Officer at The Shark Trust, said: "This report highlights the level of bycatch for just a select few protected shark and skate species. Hence, these figures are just the tip of the iceberg of the complex issue of elasmobranch bycatch in fisheries, with a wide range of species subject to chronic underreporting. Whilst there are some current bycatch projects, a stronger focus on sharks, skates and rays in bycatch mitigation programs is required, and compliance with existing recording requirements needs to improve to enable sustainable fisheries management."

Katie-jo Luxton, the RSPB’s director of conservation, said: “More than 10,000 seabirds are estimated to be killed each year in UK waters through bycatch, yet these figures likely don’t show the true scale due to gaps in monitoring and reporting. Without robust, consistent oversight across fisheries, it is impossible for the UK Government to accurately assess impacts or track progress towards its own environmental targets. Better monitoring, greater transparency and targeted action are key to tackling these needless deaths.”

‘Legs’ is an adult female grey seal in Cornwall who shows the dire welfare consequences of live entanglement in fishing gear. In January 2019 she was recorded as entangled in a single encircling mesh of monofilament fishing net. This net began cutting into the flesh of her neck and by 2020 a golf ball-sized swelling developed. By 2021 the net was no longer visible as skin had likely grown over it. Miraculously, in 2022 Legs had a pup but in 2025 a large open wound developed around her neck. She then experienced repeated and violent neck spasms considered by vets to be a neurological response to pain. Whilst the wound appeared to have healed in 2026, Legs remains entangled over 7 years later. Unfortunately, Legs is rarely at a safe rescue location so cannot be disentangled by rescue organisations. She is just one of many seals experiencing years of entanglement. (images of Legs are available on the link above). 

Filey Bay in Yorkshire is home to a small-scale inshore fishery targeting sea trout. Three miles away, the 400ft-high Bempton Cliffs are home to approximately 500,000 seabirds including gannets, puffins, guillemots, razorbills, and kittiwakes. It is the largest mainland colony of seabirds in the UK. Razorbills and guillemots also now nest in cliffs above Filey Brigg. The proximity of these two seabird colonies to Filey’s key fishing areas led to increased instances of seabird mortality due to entanglement in gillnets. Since 2010, the Filey fishery has worked closely with the RSPB, trialling innovative methods of bycatch mitigation. Using a combination of measures, including net attendance and the adoption of heavier nets, fishers in Filey Bay achieved a reduction from approximately 700 seabird deaths per year to just 4 or 5.  This shows how effective tangible action to reduce bycatch can be.

The Cornwall Wildlife Trust Marine Strandings Network started in the winter of 1992/93 when 123 dolphins washed up dead (stranded) around the Cornish coast in three months. Bycatch from the bass pair trawl fishery was a prime suspect in these strandings, and the records helped change fisheries management. EU regulations implemented in 2004 specified compulsory use of acoustic deterrent devices on some vessels and an observer scheme to monitor bycatch. The UK government also implemented a ban on UK bass pair trawl fishery within 12 nautical miles of the English coast. This had some impact on cetacean strandings, but unfortunately deaths have begun climbing again in recent years. 

The Scottish Entanglement Alliance was formed in 2018 to investigate large marine animal entanglements and is made up of a coalition of the Scottish Creel Fishermen’s Federation, scientists and conservation and welfare charities. Interviews conducted with creel fishers found that the majority of the entanglements (83% of minke whales and 50% of humpback whales) occurred in loops of floating rope in the ground lines between creels. Early trials of weighted ropes have been successful and welcomed by those fishers in the handful of vessels currently using them.

• For some species, data on bycatch in UK waters goes back several decades, with a huge cumulative total loss of individuals and no clear decrease in deaths during that time.
• Bycatch is one of the key reasons the Government is failing to meet the legal requirement under the Marine Strategy Regulations 2010 to reach Good Environmental Status for UK seas by 2020.
• In 2023, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee recommended Defra publish an action plan to reduce bycatch, with targets and timelines, by the end of 2023. The UK government stated in response that Defra would develop a plan specifically for England by 2024. There is still no action plan. 

Wildlife and Countryside Link (Link) is the largest environment and wildlife coalition in England, bringing together over 90 organisations for the protection of nature. Our members campaign to conserve UK wildlife, plants, habitats, rivers and seas and improve access to and enjoyment of our natural spaces. Together our members have the support of over eight million people in the UK and directly protect over 750,000 hectares of land and 800 miles of coastline. Wildlife and Countryside Link is a registered charity number 1107460 and a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales number 3889519