Pre-emptive capture is the capture of healthy and so far unoiled animals from an area that is likely to become affected by the oil.

By its very nature, this is an agressive disturbance of individuals which only can be justified if the net benefit is clearly in the interest of the animal's welfare in the longer term.

An important aspect that needs consideration before undertaking the activity is for how long and where the captured animal can be kept before it can be released in an alternative and safe habitat within its natural and seasonal range. The capture and subsequent stay in captivity will be a stressful experience for the animal and a potential threat to the animal's welfare and survival.

Pre-emptive capture has been successfully applied to penguins (e.g. Treasure 2000, South Africa when ca. 20,000 animals were captured and relocated), but is unlikely to be effective in the case of birds that are not flightless.

The relocation of sea turtle nests from beaches that are threatened by oil could also be considered as a form of pre-emptive capture. In such cases the eggs are dug out and hatched in special facilities. Hatchlings are subsequently released from beaches that are not threatened by oil.