News

We all know the odds of getting bitten by a shark—you’d have better luck being struck by lightning twice while holding a winning $200 million lottery ticket.

But an American scientist is developing a system that would reduce the odds even further and help prevent sharks in fishing bycatch.

Eric Stroud is using the magnetic properties of rare earth metals to develop shark-repelling fishing hooks and nets. The magnetic metals interfere with the shark’s electric sensory system, the Ampullae of Lorenzini, a series of gel-filled pores on the animal’s nose. The effect, says Stroud, is like temporarily blinding a person with a flashlight. 

"We realized we could magnetize the fishing hook, and coat it with a rare earth metal," said Stroud. "It looks just like a regular hook."

Stroud even received an award from the World Wildlife Fund for his inventions. For more information, and a video of the technology in action, check out the full article here.