Harbour porpoises are the most common UK cetacean and face threats from bycatch, noise pollution and prey depletion that cause individual welfare harm and population-level concerns.
Harbour porpoise welfare is directly threatened by commercial fishing bycatch. Porpoises caught in gillnets drown within minutes - an acutely distressing death. Pingers on fishing gear reduce bycatch significantly when correctly deployed. Acoustic pollution from shipping causes chronic stress and navigation disruption. Marine protection that reduces bycatch, noise and overfishing directly benefits individual porpoise welfare.