: the portion of a commercial fishing catch that consists of marine animals caught unintentionally
Examples of bycatch in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Additionally, there is the risk of entanglement in fishing nets, particularly in areas with intense fishing activity, resulting in bycatch, the incidental capture of nontarget species.
—
Rodrigo Tardin, The Conversation, 26 Jan. 2026
That means enforcing bycatch limits, regulating fishing effort, and improving monitoring on the high seas.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
These may include divers, spearfishermen, or people who come into contact with sharks, or bites occurring while removing sharks caught as bycatch.
—Owen Clarke, Outside, 23 Dec. 2025
Unfortunately, to catch wild shrimp requires massive nets that capture many different forms of marine life, known as bycatch, which can be 10x more than the shrimp catch.
—Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bycatch
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Rodrigo Tardin, The Conversation, 26 Jan. 2026
That means enforcing bycatch limits, regulating fishing effort, and improving monitoring on the high seas.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
These may include divers, spearfishermen, or people who come into contact with sharks, or bites occurring while removing sharks caught as bycatch.
—Owen Clarke, Outside, 23 Dec. 2025
Unfortunately, to catch wild shrimp requires massive nets that capture many different forms of marine life, known as bycatch, which can be 10x more than the shrimp catch.
—Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bycatch
Cite this Entry
“Bycatch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bycatch. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
