Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Anna Turns

New gadget could reduce shark bycatch by 90%

The small battery-powered SharkGuard, created by FishTek
The SharkGuard temporarily overstimulates the electrical sensors around a shark’s nose and mouth, making it swim away. Photograph: Courtesy of FishTek

Marine scientists have designed a piece of technology that could drastically reduce shark bycatch by emitting short electrical pulses as a deterrent.

The small battery-powered device, known as SharkGuard, reduced the numbers of blue sharks accidentally caught by commercial fishing gear in a French longline tuna fishery in the Mediterranean by 91% and stingrays by 71%, according to a study in the peer-reviewed journal Current Biology.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.