Fishermen sometimes catch and discard animals they do not want, cannot sell, or are not allowed to keep. This is collectively known as "bycatch." Bycatch can be fish, but also includes other animals such as dolphins, whales, sea turtles, and seabirds that become hooked or entangled in fishing gear. NOAA Fisheries is responsible for monitoring and managing bycatch and bycatch mortality of living marine resources in U.S. fisheries. As part of that effort, we produced the National Bycatch Report and updates to the report.

• National Bycatch Report Update 3, 2019
• National Bycatch Report Update 2, 2016
• National Bycatch Report Update 1, 2014
• National Bycatch Report, 2011

The report is not a requirement under the Magnuson-Stevens Act or other law. The report and its updates provide a compilation of bycatch information as well as national and regional overviews to help monitor bycatch trends and set fishery monitoring priorities. They are not, however, used for day-to-day management of fisheries. 

National Bycatch Report Update 3 Tables

Greater Atlantic Region
Table 3.4.1a  

• Table 3.4.1a  Annex1
• Table 3.4.1a  Annex2
• Table 3.4.1a  Annex3

Table 3.4.1b 
Table 3.4.2a 

• Table 3.4.2a  Annex1
• Table 3.4.2a  Annex2
• Table 3.4.2a  Annex3

Table 3.4.2b
Table 3.5.1
Table 3.5.2
Table 3.7.1
Table 3.7.2

Southeast Region
Table 4.4.1a
Table 4.4.1b
Table 4.4.2a
Table 4.4.2b
Table 4.5.1
Table 4.5.2
Table 4.6.1
Table 4.6.2

Alaska Region
Table 5.4.1a
Table 5.4.1b
Table 5.4.2a
Table 5.4.2b
Table 5.5.1
Table 5.5.2
Table 5.7.1
Table 5.7.2 

West Coast Region
Table 6.4.1a   
Table 6.4.1b
Table 6.4.2a
Table 6.4.2b
Table 6.4.3a
Table 6.4.3b
Table 6.5.1
Table 6.5.2
Table 6.7.1
Table 6.7.2 

Pacific Islands Region
Table 7.4.1a 
Table 7.4.1b 
Table 7.4.2a
Table 7.4.2b  
Table 7.5.1
Table 7.5.2 
Table 7.6.1 
Table 7.6.2