SharkGuard

THE PROBLEM

An estimated 20 million sharks are unintentionally caught in fisheries each year, and pelagic longlining for tuna and bill fish are known to have particularly high bycatch rates. Certain species are more vulnerable to bycatch in longline fisheries, with blue sharks, hammerheads, oceanic white tips, makos and threshers declining by 71% over the last half century.

THE IDEA

Sharks and tuna feed on similar prey and are often found in the same ocean habitats. However, there is a crucial difference between the two that can be harnessed: detection and hunting of prey. Sharks primarily sense their prey using organs acutely sensitive to electrical fields, known as ampullae of Lorenzini. The Shark Guard, sitting just above the hook of the longline, creates powerful, short-range, three-dimensional electric pulses deterring sharks from approaching the bait. Tuna, relying on sight and smell to detect prey, experience no such deterrent.

TIMELINE

2017

SharkGuard is conceived and the very first prototype (MK.I) is born. Early field trials off the Cornish coast reveal a clear behavioural response from sharks, captured on video and confirming the core concept behind the technology.

2018

Building on MK.I insights, SharkGuard MK.II is tested in the Mediterranean. These trials focus on refining pulse delivery, improving consistency, and deepening our understanding of how sharks respond in different fishing environments.

2020

MK.III evolves into MK.IV, introducing improved software and engineering upgrades. This phase focuses on reliability, usability, and durability—key steps toward a solution fit for commercial fisheries.

2021

Working in close collaboration with the SATHOAN fleet from the port of Sète, SharkGuard trials deliver exceptional results – 91% reduction in shark bycatch and 71% reduction in ray bycatch!

2022

Fishtek Marine commissions a global fisheries review to identify regions with both high tuna CPUE and high shark BPUE. Based on this analysis, New Caledonia (West Pacific) is selected as the ideal location to rigorously evaluate SharkGuard at scale.

2023

The first New Caledonia trials commence, designed to answer a critical question: can SharkGuard significantly reduce shark bycatch without affecting tuna catch? Data collection begins under commercial fishing conditions.

2024

A custom induction-charged hookbin is under development for SharkGuard MK.V, enabling efficient charging and deployment.

2025

The latest SharkGuard MK.V model undergoes trials in New Caledonia. This iteration is fully miniaturised, constructed from oxidation-resistant materials, and utilises colouration to effectively camouflage the device from target tuna species. It is seamlessly integrated into a custom-designed setting bin capable of inductively charging and deploying 340 hooks. Together, these advances mark a major leap toward scalable, commercially viable shark-safe longline fishing.

AMBITION

Our initial ambition is for SharkGuard to be used in all pelagic longline tuna fisheries, where it can have an immediate impact on protecting shark populations. We are already exploring opportunities for SharkGuard to be used in demersal longline fisheries globally.

POTENTIAL IMPACT

The numbers of sharks caught as bycatch on pelagic longlines is huge, with estimates between 20 to 50 million. If we can reduce bycatch by 80%, as evidenced in our 2021 trial, this would transform the prospects for many pelagic shark species.

FUNDING

The prototype development and first trials were funded by Innovate UK. The development of our induction charged prototypes and our research trials have been supported by two foundations in the USA: Schmidt Marine Technology Foundation and an anonymous foundation. These organisations have been instrumental in helping us realise this opportunity to develop a new technology that could transform shark bycatch globally.  

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

We are exploring potential for SharkGuard to be used within Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) to prevent sharks becoming entrapped in encircling purse-seine nets. Trials are also being planned to trial SharkGuard in demersal longlines in the Azores that will reduce bycatch of many rare deep water species such as the Greenland Shark.

INTRODUCING THE SHARK GUARD

When we revealed the results from our first trials in 2022, we had huge interest from recreational anglers asking us whether they could use the device to reduce the numbers of fish they were losing to sharks. We responded and designed the SharkGuard sport, a product that is designed to be sent down a line once a fish is hooked. This product will help reduce the potential of unhealthy interactions between anglers and sharks.

Fishtek Marine Sport