New gadget could reduce shark bycatch by 90%

Trials of the SharkGuard - which emits a pulse to repel sharks and rays from fishing gear - have produced eye-catching results

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.