Students at the University of New England are studying how low-level electrical impulses might be used to repel sharks, a method they hope will protect fishermen’s valuable catch as well as the sharks that too often die trying to steal it.
If the concept proves itself in the field, the students hope to develop a long-lasting, affordable device that recreational and commercial fishermen can add to their lines to stop shark bycatch without hurting their chances at reeling in a halibut in the waters off Maine, or a tuna off Hawaii.