Difficult to define and deeply damaging: the huge cost of non-selective fisheries for marine biodiversity

Non-selective fishing practices represent a critical threat to marine biodiversity, driving widespread degradation of marine ecosystems with profound consequences. Our poster examines the extensive impacts of non-selective fisheries—both artisanal and commercial—on marine species, with a focus on biodiversity conservation. Through in-depth consultation with taxon experts from the marine-focused Specialist Groups of the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC), we reveal the vast taxonomic range of species affected by non-selective fishing, with pressures coming from a diversity in gear types, scales, and modes of impact across fisheries.

Banner photograph of bycatch by Sarah Foster / Project Seahorse