Behavioural responses of draughtboard sharks (Cephaloscyllium laticeps) to rare earth magnets: Implications for shark bycatch management within the Tasmanian southern rock lobster fishery
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Published source details
Westlake E.L., Williams M. & Rawlinson N. (2018) Behavioural responses of draughtboard sharks (Cephaloscyllium laticeps) to rare earth magnets: Implications for shark bycatch management within the Tasmanian southern rock lobster fishery. Fisheries Research, 200, 84-92.
Published source details Westlake E.L., Williams M. & Rawlinson N. (2018) Behavioural responses of draughtboard sharks (Cephaloscyllium laticeps) to rare earth magnets: Implications for shark bycatch management within the Tasmanian southern rock lobster fishery. Fisheries Research, 200, 84-92.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Attach an electropositive deterrent to fishing gear Action Link |
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Attach an electropositive deterrent to fishing gear
A replicated, controlled study in 2014 in shallow inshore waters in the Tasman Sea off Tasmania, Australia (Westlake et al. 2018) found that the presence of magnets reduced feeding attempts on bait by draughtboard sharks Cephaloscyllium laticeps, compared to bait without magnets. When magnets were present, sharks made 25 and 19 feeding attempts (for two and four magnets respectively), and 53 attempts were made with no magnets. The bait was approached but no feeding was attempted 174 times with two magnets present, 144 times with four magnets present and 123 times with no magnets present. A total of 12 trials were carried out on separate occasions between August–December 2014, each with the following three treatments placed 20 metres apart: two or four magnetic resin blocks attached to rods 0.2 m either side of jack mackerel Trachurus declivis bait, and two non-magnetic blocks on rods either side of the bait. Each device was placed on the seabed and recorded by video for 90 minutes.
(Summarised by: Rosslyn McIntyre)
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