14 DAY TRIAL // Sharks are known to be able to detect magnetic fields - they use this sense to detect Earth's magnetic field and orient around the ocean. Presumably they would avoid artificial magnetic fields that would clutter their orientation.
At least this is what the World Wildlife Fund hopes. If this idea works, they will try to convince fishermen to attach magnets to their hooks to avoid accidentally capturing sharks.
This is part of WWF's campaign to promote selective fishing. They want to reduce the number of unwanted catches because although such animals are frequently thrown back into the sea, they usually die of the injuries received in the process of being captured.
Every year thousands of sharks die after becoming snared on hooks set by commercial fisheries to catch tuna and swordfish and this has literally pushed some shark species to the brink of extinction. According to the WWF, 89% of hammerhead sharks and 80% of thresher and white sharks have disappeared from the Northeast Atlantic Ocean in the last 18 years, largely due to bycatch.
"The WWF is constantly looking for practical solutions to allow intelligent fishing, by being more selective about the species sought,'' said Moises Mug, who heads up the group's fisheries programs for Latin America.
This idea of using magnets was proposed by Michael M. Herrmann who is Research Associate at American organization SharkDefense. The idea was awarded the 2006 WWF's International Smart Gear Competition. Trials are now to be carried out, with funding from the WWF.
"Solutions do exist and there is no excuse for allowing this level of waste in our seas", said WWF International's Director General James Leape. "Smarter fishing is critical to ensuring a future for sharks, seabirds and sea turtles. Without urgent and bold legislation from the European Union and other international bodies, the waste will continue and in the long term, risk putting the fishing industry out of business."