SharkGuard devices reduce bycatch of sharks and rays
CREDIT: Fishtek Marine
Gadgets that emit small electrical pulses can drastically cut the number of sharks and stingrays caught accidentally on fishing lines, new research shows.
A new device called SharkGuard attaches to longline fishing rigs to scare off sharks and rays.
In the study, carried out on French boats fishing for tuna, lines fitted with SharkGuard reduced bycatch (accidental catching) of blue sharks by 91% and stingrays by 71%.
Catch of the target species, bluefin tuna, also appeared to decline, but further testing is needed to fully understand the effects of the device on target species.
SharkGuard was developed by conservation engineers Fishtek Marine, and tested by researchers at the University of Exeter.
“Many shark and ray populations are declining due to overfishing – particularly oceanic species such as blue sharks and pelagic stingrays that are commonly caught on longlines globally,” said Dr Phil Doherty, of the Centre for Ecology and Conservation on Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall.
“There is an urgent need to reduce bycatch, which not only kills millions of sharks and rays each year but also costs fishers time and money.
“Our study suggests SharkGuard is remarkably effective at keeping blue sharks and pelagic stingrays off fishing hooks.”
Commenting on the reduced catch of bluefin tuna (42%), Dr Doherty said the total number caught in the test period (on both lines with and without SharkGuard) was low, so further trials are needed to fully explore the results.
“On the back of these exciting results, the engineers at Fishtek Marine are modifying SharkGuard so it is smaller and self-charging after every haul,” said Dr Doherty.
“Research will continue at Exeter, where we test SharkGuard’s effectiveness at sea across multiple species and fisheries”.
Pete Kibel, co-founder and director of Fishtek Marine, said “When SharkGuard is used, sharks do not take the bait and do not get caught on the hooks, and that gives us a huge sense of hope.
“Against the relentless backdrop of stories of dramatic population declines occurring across all of our marine species, it is important to remember that there are people working hard to find solutions.
“SharkGuard is an example of where, given the appropriate backing, it is possible to roll the solution out on a sufficient scale to reverse the current decline in global shark populations.”
SharkGuard, which is powered by a small battery, works by targeting the area around a shark’s nose and mouth which is packed with electrical sensors called the ampullae of Lorenzini.
These sensory organs get overstimulated by the electric field generated by SharkGuard, which makes the sharks swim away from the danger of the baited fishing hooks.
Professor Brendan Godley, who leads the Exeter Marine research group, said: “Working with partners like Fishtek Marine allows us to combine Exeter’s expertise in marine research with their brilliant engineering, to address major challenges such as bycatch.
“We need further testing and development of SharkGuard, but it has the potential to be a global game-changer for the sustainability of longline fishing.”
The paper, published in the journal Current Biology, is entitled: “Efficacy of a novel shark bycatch mitigation device in a tuna longline fishery.”
Original Article: Electric pulses save sharks from fishing hooks
More from: University of Exeter
The Latest Updates from Bing News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
SharkGuard
- Liberty Home Guard Reviews
Liberty Home Guard offers three major home warranty plans to help protect homeowners from unexpected repairs. It also has several add-ons so you can customize your coverage to your situation.
- Man, 65, bitten by shark off South Carolina coast while spearfishing, Coast Guard says
A man spearfishing off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina on Thursday was bitten by a shark, according to Coast Guard Sector Charleston. The 65-year-old victim was bitten Thursday night about ...
- How the Shark Detect Pro redefined my relationship with vacuuming
My disdain for vacuuming started when I was 11; I’d often come home from middle school and had to vacuum the living room. After I finished, my dad closely inspected every inch of the floor ...
- Which Helldivers 2 guard dog is better? Guard Dog vs Rover stratagem
The AX/LAS-5 Guard Dog Rover is better than the AX/AR-23 Guard Dog. This is because it uses a laser rifle that doesn’t resupply as often as the assault rifle of the AX/AR-23 Guard Dog. The ...
- Security Guard Shot Outside Weeknd Co-Manager’s Los Angeles Residence in Apparent Home Invasion
A security guard was shot several times outside the Los Angeles-area home of Weeknd co-manager and business partner Amir “Cash” Esmailian in an apparent home invasion, according to Fox11.
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Bycatch
- Southeast Alaska not ready for a hatchery-only king fishery, study finds
Researchers say a major concern that arose from the study was incidentally killing wild kings while targeting the hatchery fish.
- New survey of false killer whales seeks to improve conservation, reduce interactions with longline gear
A false killer whale grabs a mahimahi hiding under a bucket lid, looking very much like an Avenger in the process! Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Ernesto Vazquez (Permit #25754) These key types of data are ...
- Deadly fishing methods that destroy the environment
Tragically, bycatch is often tossed back into the ocean. A gillnet is a wall of netting that hangs in the water, with holes large enough for a fish’s head but not its body. As the fish tries to ...
- Alaska lawmakers, residents ask feds to limit how much salmon industrial trawlers catch
Plenty of fish in the sea? Not so according to Alaska lawmakers and residents who want the feds to limit industrial fishing before it's too late.
- Shark net bycatch toll sparks renewed call for permanent halt to meshing program
There are renewed calls to halt a shark netting program as data reveals the toll the meshing is taking on endangered and "non-target" species.