The harbour porpoise is the UK's most common cetacean and faces significant welfare threats from accidental entanglement in fishing nets, particularly static gear.
Entanglement in fishing gear causes drowning and physical trauma. Porpoises can survive initially but drown within minutes if unable to surface. Post-mortem examination of stranded porpoises shows that entanglement is the most frequent cause of mortality. PAL deployment is effective but not yet mandatory in high-risk fisheries.