: 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
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
This one was retrieved as incidental bycatch from nearly 400 meters deep off Puerto Rico.
—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
29 May 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
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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
This one was retrieved as incidental bycatch from nearly 400 meters deep off Puerto Rico.
—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
29 May 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
See All Example Sentences for bycatch
Cite this Entry
“Bycatch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bycatch. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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