SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) — Researchers at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota have been studying the effectiveness of a device aimed at cutting down on shark depredation, which is when sharks take fish or bait off a fishing line.
“What we are seeing is that fishermen are actually asking for the removal of certain shark species from their fishing grounds, which is counterproductive to the conservation efforts we have been working on for decades,” senior biologist Jack Morris said. “We think an alternative to this would be finding a way or finding a device we can use to actually deter sharks from taking the catch from the recreational and commercial fishermen.”
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The tool Mote studied is known as an electronic pulse device or EPD.
Scientists at Mote say it is showing potential to help recreational and commercial fishermen protect their catch from sharks, while also supporting shark conservation…