bycatch

noun

by·​catch ˈbī-ˌkach How to pronounce bycatch (audio)
-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
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.
Every year, the Alaskan pollock industry brings up around twenty thousand king salmon and around a quarter million pounds of halibut as bycatch. — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026 More ocean news Alaska pollock, the fish behind imitation crab and America’s fish sticks, is fueling a fight over trawling and bycatch. — Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026 Rebekka Nygård Bak, an adviser to Greenland’s fisheries ministry, told the outlet that rules requiring bycatch-friendly equipment and better bycatch reporting could also help. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 5 Oct. 2026 Scientists know of dwindling populations in parts of Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Myanmar because the shark turns up as fishing bycatch. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bycatch

Word History

First Known Use

1962, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bycatch was in 1962

Rhymes for bycatch

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Browse Nearby Words

by car
bycatch
by chance
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Cite this Entry

“Bycatch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bycatch. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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