Marine Animals

Porpoise Acoustic Deterrent Welfare

Acoustic deterrents (pingers) reduce harbour porpoise bycatch in fishing nets but raise welfare questions about displacement and habituation.

Key Facts

Pingers reduce harbour porpoise bycatch by up to 70% in some fisheries
EU law requires pingers on certain gillnets in porpoise habitats
Repeated exposure may cause habituation, reducing pinger effectiveness
Acoustic deterrents may displace porpoises from preferred foraging areas
Better-designed pingers with irregular signals reduce habituation rates

Welfare Considerations

Acoustic deterrents represent a genuine welfare improvement by preventing bycatch mortality and injury, but displacement from critical habitat may reduce foraging success and reproductive fitness. Pinger design, deployment protocols, and rotation strategies need continued refinement to maximise welfare benefit while minimising negative displacement effects.

What You Can Do

Support fisheries management policies mandating pinger use
Advocate for research into improved pinger designs that reduce habituation
Choose seafood from fisheries using pingers and other bycatch reduction tools
Support marine conservation organisations monitoring porpoise populations
Donate to research on porpoise bycatch prevention technologies