In fisheries science, by-catch refers to species caught in a fishery intended to target another species, as well as reproductively_immature juveniles of the target species. By_catch is a serious issue that can contribute to species endangerment.
One example of by_catch is dolphins caught in tuna nets. As dolphins are mammals and do not have gills they may drown while stuck in nets underwater. This by-catch issue has been one of the reasons of the growing eco-labelling industry, where fish producers mark their packagings with something like "Dolphin Friendly" to reassure buyers.
External links
More information (http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_bycatch.asp) from the Monterey Bay Aquarium
Unfortunately for the dolpins, "dolphin friendly" does not mean that dolphins were not killed in the production of a particular tin of tuna, but that the fleet which caught the tuna did not specifically target a feeding pod of dolphins, but relied on other methods to spot tuna schools.
Bycatch is often discarded dead or dying by the time it is returned to the sea.
Concerns about bycatch have led fishermen and scientists to develop devices they can put on their nets to reduce unwanted catch.
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