bycatch

noun

by·​catch ˈbī-ˌkach 

-ˌkech

: 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

But Kyne cautions against complacency, as bycatch in fisheries, expanding agricultural development and proposals to extract freshwater from northern rivers continue to threaten the nursery habitats young sawfish depend on. — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Sharks often become bycatch – entangled in fishing nets not intended for them, they are rendered helpless and face certain death. — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 9 June 2026

Meat and fins of many shark species are highly valued, and they are targeted and taken as bycatch in commercial and recreational fisheries, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History. — Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 1 June 2026

Scientists are still studying Greenland shark genetics for insights into aging and DNA repair, but the species’ extreme vulnerability to bycatch means conservation efforts may determine whether these centuries-old animals keep swimming. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1962, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bycatch

• attach
• despatch
• detach
• dispatch
• mismatch
• nuthatch
• potlatch
• bache
• batch
• brach
• catch
• hatch