Neglect the outdated ‘capturing the scuba tank’ trick. The following time you could push back a shark, attempt carrying a large magnet.
Researchers at Australia’s College of Newcastle have discovered that attaching magnets to business fish traps can efficiently push back sharks and rays, which means fewer sharks are caught as bycatch.
The examine, published in Fisheries Research, discovered that run-of-the-mill magnets might scale back bycatch charges by 30 p.c, and result in a corresponding improve in fish being caught by business fish traps.
Based on the examine, sharks and rays have particular sensing pores round their nostril that assist them find prey and that are significantly delicate to magnetic and electrical fields. By kitting out a fish lure with $2 magnets — at a complete price of roughly AU$30 (round $20) per lure — the researchers say fisheries can use the sharks’ personal biology to assist save them.
The World Wildlife Fund estimates over 300,000 small whales, dolphins and porpoises die yearly after getting tangled in fishing nets, however College of Newcastle lead researcher Dr. Vincent Raoult says magnets might be a easy option to scale back the issue.
‘Whereas lots of the elasmobranchs [the subclass of fish that includes sharks and rays] unintentionally caught are launched again into the ocean, the stress from being out of the water and dealt with are prone to have repercussions that may final for a time period after they’re launched,’ he mentioned.
‘Utilizing magnets not solely reduces incidences of elasmobranch bycatch, but in addition will increase profitability for fishermen as they spend much less time by chance catching sharks and rays, and extra time catching the fish they need.’
Seems just like the magnet is the most important apex predator of all of them…