Shark Repellent

[Gidds]

I'd like to know the molecular mechanism by which this supposed repellant is working because a number of shark species are cannibalistic (even before birth in some cases) or at the very least are known to feed on carrion.

I really don't foresee this actually working on say a tiger shark since I am unaware of anything that they will not eat.

I think smelling like oh sand or rocks or seaweed might help but it's not going to mask your electromagnetic field one bit, which may or may not resemble that of a food item.

However, I do agree with the previous sentinments that conservation applications would be very useful.

Bottom Line: probably another gimmick

I think we should take an example from the woodsmen in India who wear masks on the back of thier heads while working to prevent tiger ambushes. Maybe we should paint eyes on the bottom of surf boards and on the front and back abdominal sections of bathing suits. If you're that paranoid of about sharks though you probably ought to stay out of the water.

 

[Barracuda2]

Now, putting it on nets and hooks so you don't accidently catch and kill the sharks is a benefit. It allows us to see more of these majestic creatures.[/QUOTE]

I agree and I really hope this one does it. Have they actually tried any of this stuff in actual commercial fishing conditions? or are they assuming it will work?

Barracuda2

 

[The Natural]

I have my own shark repellent....I swim faster than my buddy

 

[toodive4]

I usually break wind... that seems to keep them at a safe distance!

K

South Florida Scientists Create Shark Repellent
Information provided by NBC6 Ecowatch

MIAMI, FL (Aug. 4) - Dr. Sonny Gruber, a University of Miami shark expert, heads up World Class Research in Bimini, Bahamas. His research team has proven that sharks hate or fear the smell of rotting shark carcass.

"And so we have been extracting certain chemicals out of these dead carcasses, purifying them and testing them on those Caribbean reef sharks," Gruber said. "And it worked. It worked very well."

Research video shows sleeping baby sharks thrash wildly after they're given a whiff of shark repellent. And bigger sharks blasted with repellent quickly flee.

The U.S. Navy wanted a repellent because sharks were chewing submarine equipment.

But with shark attacks back in the news this summer, the company marketing the repellent says it could be available as something lifeguards can throw in the water during an attack.

Eventually, they hope to make a bracelet for swimmers and divers -- maybe even a sun block mixed with shark repellent.

Shark repellent could be popular in protecting humans from sharks. But also, researchers say a repellent could save thousands of sharks at a time when shark populations are plummeting.

Studies show about 100 million sharks are killed every year, often by fishermen who are after tuna or swordfish but accidentally catch sharks instead.

Gruber says if fishermen put the shark repellent on the bait, the tuna and swordfish won't care, but sharks will stay away.

"If I can protect those baits from sharks biting them, but the fish bite them, then I can save 40 to 50,000 sharks a day," Gruber said. "That is what I'm all about with these shark repellents."

Gruber's scientists are testing the shark repellent around the clock. They soak some yellow sponges with the repellent and place the sponges on hooks. The bait attracts other fish but not sharks. On a hook without the repellents, Gruber's team reeled in a small shark and quickly released it.

The process is repeated many times because Gruber says there's no room for error when creating a shark repellent to protect humans and sharks.

The shark repellent could be on the market as early as next year.

 

[gangrel441]

This is very different. It actually works, but is pretty useless for people. It needs to be in the water before an attack, that's not really going to be practical.

Now, putting it on nets and hooks so you don't accidently catch and kill the sharks is a benefit. It allows us to see more of these majestic creatures.

My understanding was that one prospective use is to add it to sunscreen. That way, people using a product they already use at the beach would also be helping to keep sharks clear of the populated area.

Like most of you, I truly believe that the shark "problem" is more news media hype than anything else, but what struck me about this product is that the folks who created it seem to have had the best interests of the sharks in mind. Use it in the commercial fishing to keep sharks away from fishing nets and lines. Use it in suntan lotions to keep sharks away from swimmers in the water. However rare and uncharacteristic they may be, even one less shark attack on a beach is one less shark attack for the news to go gaga over in the interest of boosting their ratings, and one less bounty hunt for the killers off the coasts. If this product works, and it catches on, I could forsee this taking a lot of steam out of the "killer shark" bad press year in and year out. We might just get to save our aquatic predatory friends yet. I say let's give it a shot.

 

[DementialFaith]

But do we realli need repellents? I mean... whenever I go diving I look forward to see sharks, not avoid them. Besides, I don't think the sharks are all that interested in moving rubber figures with metal cylinders strapped to their backs and streams of bubbles coming out.

 

[partridge]

I can see it now. A conservation group following around one of those shark fishing boats and spreading this oil around it.

 

[Gidds]

Umm since when do environmental zealots care about anything that is not cute, fuzzy, brightly colored, or at least warm blooded? I doubt we need to worry about the aforementioned scenerio

 

[partridge]

Dont really know. I saw some video of a Greenpeace boat with posters and streamers running along another huge vessel. Dont know what kind.

 

[DementialFaith]

I see the people here aren't all that crazy about conservations =)