FAU’s Stephen Kajiura, FSU's Dean Grubbs, and collaborators have developed a device that, when attached to fishing lines, reduces shark bycatch, in which sharks are caught unintentionally although tuna, swordfish, and other species are the real targets. Other gear modifications reduce bycatch but also cut into catches of commercially valuable species.
The device pairs zinc and graphite, which react to produce a small electric field in the surrounding seawater. The field repels sharks from the bait without affecting target fish. In Florida field trials, the device reduced shark bycatch by more than 60%. “What makes this approach so exciting is its practicality – zinc and graphite are inexpensive, widely available, and already familiar to fishers,” says Kajiura.
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