SharkGuard: The World’s First Commercially Effective Shark Bycatch Mitigation Device

SharkGuard：世界上第一个具有商业效果的鲨鱼兼捕缓解装置

• 批准号: 53249
• 金额: $ 29.46万
• 依托单位: FISHTEK MARINE LIMITED
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Study
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2020 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=53249
• 关键词: SharkGuard; World; First; Commercially; Effective

Every year an estimated 100 million sharks are inadvertently caught in commercial fisheries, threatening shark species with extinction, and interfering with normal fishing operations.Bycatch, as this problem is known, doesn't just affect wildlife: it costs fisheries a lot of money. That's because sharks can scare away the types of fish that fisheries are targeting, such as tuna. In addition, when the sharks get accidentally caught on the hooks it damages fishing gear and reduces the number of target fish that might otherwise be caught. Currently there is no solution to this urgent problem. Now, a British company called Fishtek Marine is developing SharkGuard; an entirely new, game-changing device fitted to fishing hooks which uses electric pulses to deter sharks, whilst not interfering with the catching of target species which can't detect this electric field.In 2019, sea trials with SharkGuard in the Mediterranean demonstrated a 100% reduction in shark bycatch in a typical commercial longline fishery (albeit based on a limited overall shark sample size). However, fishers using SharkGuard in the field encountered some practical difficulties and reported a reduction in catch rates for target species which we found was due to the device's size, in-water weight, and positioning next to the hook. This funding will support critical investigations to provide the new knowledge required to resolve these challenges. This will enable development of a second stage prototype and statistically confirm its efficacy through planned sea trial research to ensure the prototype fits both technical and commercial requirements. SharkGuard will benefit both conservation and the worldwide fishing industry, while growing our business and cementing our global reputationRelatively inexpensive and convenient to use, SharkGuard has the potential to become the first and only truly effective shark bycatch mitigation technology for the world's longline fishing industry. Countless sharks will be saved and a number of the UN Sustainable Development Goals will be supported. Meanwhile, the fishing industry will benefit and, within five years, Fishtek Marine, a British company, will hire an additional 27 staff, boost turnover by £3 million, and reinforce its profile as a world leader in bycatch reduction technology.

据估计，每年有1亿条鲨鱼在商业捕鱼中被无意中捕获，威胁着鲨鱼物种的灭绝，并干扰了正常的捕鱼作业。副渔获物，正如这个问题所知，不仅影响野生动物：它还使渔业损失了大量资金。这是因为鲨鱼会吓跑渔业的目标鱼类，比如金枪鱼。此外，当鲨鱼意外被鱼钩钩住时，它会损坏渔具，减少原本可能被捕获的目标鱼的数量。目前还没有解决这一紧迫问题的办法。现在，一家名为Fishtek Marine的英国公司正在开发SharkGuard;一种全新的、改变游戏规则的设备安装在鱼钩上，它使用电脉冲来阻止鲨鱼，同时不会干扰无法检测到这种电场的目标物种的捕获。2019年，在地中海进行的SharkGuard海上试验表明，在典型的商业延绳钓渔业中，鲨鱼副渔获物减少了100（尽管基于有限的整体鲨鱼样本量）。然而，渔民使用SharkGuard在现场遇到了一些实际困难，并报告了目标物种的捕获率下降，我们发现这是由于该设备的大小，在水中的重量，并定位旁边的钩。这笔资金将支持关键的调查，以提供解决这些挑战所需的新知识。这将使第二阶段原型的开发成为可能，并通过计划的海上试验研究在统计上确认其功效，以确保原型符合技术和商业要求。SharkGuard将有利于保护和全球渔业，同时发展我们的业务并巩固我们的全球声誉。SharkGuard相对便宜且使用方便，有可能成为世界延绳钓渔业第一个也是唯一一个真正有效的鲨鱼副渔获物缓解技术。无数的鲨鱼将得到拯救，联合国的一些可持续发展目标也将得到支持。与此同时，捕鱼业将从中受益，英国公司Fishtek Marine将在五年内增加27名员工，营业额将增加300万英镑，并加强其作为减少副渔获物技术世界领导者的形象。