Shark News from around the world covering shark news for December 8, 2015
Let us start our shark news from around the world with some controversial news from Australia. Smart drumlines are being tested during daylight hours off Lighthouse Beach. The drum lines are similar to the old ones as they are baited and tossed in the water catching whatever marine animal that bites the bait. The smart drumlines do have an advantage as they are supposed to send a signal to a monitoring crew, who will then need to rush to the scene and haul in the catch.
If the technology works as designed and the reaction time of the catch team is quick enough, then any fish caught on the line can be pulled in while alive and a determination made as to whether to release the fish immediately or implement other protocol. When large sharks are caught they will be tagged and taken further to sea, where they will be released.
The new drumline sounds superior to the old one which would be left overnight, a prime feeding time for sharks, and not checked until the morning. Whatever was caught would often times wear itself out trying to unhook itself and drown.
In New Zealand shark chumming has come under fire.
Residents are concerned that shark tourism is making sharks more aggressive. Shark tour boats use chunks of bait fish to draw sharks close to the cages where visitors can see the sharks up close.
Currently there are no changes in the foreseeable future. Operators will still be able to use chum, though they might actually be able to attract sharks using music. Tour operator Matt Waller runs a tour boat in Southern Australia and believes music brings in sharks just as well as chum.
Interestingly enough the “Yummy Theory” actually has some pretty sound science behind it. Researchers believe that sharks may mistake the low frequency vibrations of the music for injured fish. Apparently the music also helps tourists stay calmer.
Here in the USA, a great white shark that washed onto a North Carolina beach is being dissected.
The nearly 9 foot shark was found on Monday with no visible clue as to how it actually died. Students and researchers from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington began the necropsy early today and no findings have been made public as of yet.
Cammie Bellamy with The StarNews tweeted several photos from the lab and shared them on her twitter feed.
That wraps up our Shark News from Around the World. for December 8, 2015.
