SAVING SHARKS WITH MAGNETS
Michael Herrmann, a research associate at the US-based company Shark Defense, has won the 2006 World Wildlife Fund-sponsored Smart Gear competition for an innovation that addresses the problem of shark bycatch. Knowing that sharks can detect magnetic fields, Herrmann found that placing strong magnets just above the hooks on longline fishing gear can repel certain shark species. Every year thousands of sharks die after becoming snared on hooks set by commercial fisheries to catch fish such as tuna and swordfish. The problem has pushed some shark species to the brink of extinction, with some populations down by 90 per cent. Herrmann will receive the US$25,000 grand prize to further develop and test his winning idea.

Source: World Wildlife Fund, 11 May 2006
http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/index.cfm?uNewsID=68540