Device to be tested in North Carolina could save rare sharks

NAGS HEAD, North Carolina (AP)―A fisherman on the North Carolina coast will test a device next summer that could help save rare sharks.

The Virginian-Pilot reports the waterproof gadget would be connected just above the hooks on a long line used for commercial harvesting of species such as tuna and swordfish. It would emit an electric pulse that drives sharks away from the baited hook.

Outer Banks fisherman Charlie Locke says he will run his 32-foot (10-meter) boat in federal waters about four miles (six kilometers) off Hatteras and Oregon inlet for 10 days beginning in August 2020. He will pull a three-mile (five-kilometer) long line with 150 baited hooks. Half will have the repelling device and half will not. He says that if the device works, it could benefit fisheries around the world.

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