But a study published Wednesday by the University of Exeter and Cornwall Wildlife Trust suggests technology could help alleviate the problem.

Researches found the use of pingers embedded in fishing nets resulted in a 37 percent reduction of harbor porpoise "bycatch" in an eight-month trial off Britain's Cornish coast.

It also demonstrated the acoustic alarms didn't permanently change their behavior. The animals immediately returned to their feeding grounds once the devices were turned off, the study's authors said.