US 20140360084A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2014/0360084 A1 STROUD (43) Pub. Date: Dec. 11, 2014 (54) ELASMOBRANCH-REPELLING (60) Provisional application No. 60/798,504, filed on May ELECTROPOSITIVE METALS AND 8, 2006. METHODS OF USE Publication Classification (71) Applicant: ERIC MATTHEWSTROUD, Oak Ridge, NJ (US) (51) Int. Cl. AOIK 97/00 (2006.01) (72) Inventor: ERIC MATTHEWSTROUD, Oak B63B35/85 (2006.01) Ridge, NJ (US) B63C II/02 (2006.01) (52) U.S. Cl. CPC ................. A0IK 97/00 (2013.01); B63C II/02 (21) Appl. No.: 14/304,654 (2013.01); B63B35/85 (2013.01) USPC ............................... 43/4.5; 119/712: 405/186 Filed: Jun. 13, 2014 (22) (57) ABSTRACT Devices and methods are disclosed for repelling elasmo Related U.S. Application Data branchs with electropositive metals, including apparatuses (62) Division of application No. 1 1/800,545, filed on May and methods for reducing by-catch in commercial fisheries 7, 2007, now abandoned. and protecting humans from attacks by elasmobranchs. Patent Application Publication Dec. 11, 2014 Sheet 1 of 7 US 2014/0360084 A1 140 240 240 240 FIG. 2B FIG. 2C Patent Application Publication Dec. 11, 2014 Sheet 2 of 7 US 2014/0360084 A1 d (Y) s 9 ass (Y) CN 9 O s l?) v cy O cy s o Y S. s cy) () C. (Y) R 9 O s O CY) O r Patent Application Publication Dec. 11, 2014 Sheet 3 of 7 US 2014/0360084 A1 442 Patent Application Publication Dec. 11, 2014 Sheet 4 of 7 US 2014/0360084 A1 079 Patent Application Publication Dec. 11, 2014 Sheet 5 of 7 US 2014/0360084 A1 F.G. 6A 670 –1 7 "N///////////Z. Patent Application Publication Dec. 11, 2014 Sheet 6 of 7 US 2014/0360084 A1 F.G. 7C Patent Application Publication Dec. 11, 2014 Sheet 7 of 7 US 2014/0360084 A1 FG. 8A FIG. 8B US 2014/0360084 A1 Dec. 11, 2014 ELASMOBRANCH-REPELLING has yet to be marketed for limiting the risk of shark attacks ELECTROPOSITIVE METALS AND faced by humans exposed to elasmobranchs. Over the last 50 METHODS OF USE years antishark measures employed to protect humans from shark have included electrical repellent devices (Gilbert & INTRODUCTION Springer 1963, Gilbert & Gilbert 1973), acoustical playbacks (Myrberg et al. 1978, Klimley & Myrberg 1979), visual 0001. This invention relates generally to electropositive devices (Doak 1974) and chemical repellents (Tuve 1963, metals for repelling elasmobranchs and methods of using Clark 1974, Gruber & Zlotkin 1982). None of these proce electropositive metals to repel elasmobranchs. dures proved satisfactory in preventing shark attacks. (Sis neros (2001)). As such, the long felt need for an effective BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION repellent had not been satisfied. 0002 Elasmobranchs represent a significant problem in 0008 Researchers have historically used several bio-as the commercial fishing industry. Elasmobranchs are often says to determine if a repellent evokes a flight response in inadvertently caught on fishing tackle directed at other more shark. One such bio-assay measures the effect of a repellent commercially valuable kinds of fish. This inadvertent catch on a shark that is immobilized in “tonic immobility.” Tonic ing of elasmobranchs (or other non-valued fish) is called immobility is a state of paralysis that typically occurs when a “by-catch. As many as 100 million elasmobranchs are killed shark is Subject to inversion of its body along the longitudinal each year as by-catch. This loss of life has resulted in a real axis. This state is called “tonic, and the shark can remain in threat to several shark species. Currently, as many as 80 this state for up to 15 minutes thereby allowing researchers to species of shark are considered threatened with extinction. observe effects of repellents. After behavioral controls are 0003. Further, when elasmobranchs are caught as established, an object or Substance that has a repelling effect by-catch, fishing operations receive no return on their invest will awaken a shark from a tonic state. Researchers can quan ment since the shark is caught on a hook that might have tify the strength of a repellent effect from these studies. otherwise brought in a marketable fish. Additionally, the fish ing tackle on which a shark is caught often must be cut loose BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION for the safety of those working on the fishing vessel causing a 0009. The applicant has discovered that an electropositive loss of both equipment and time. metal is an effective elasmobranch repellent useful in limiting 0004 Longlining is a commercial fishing method that suf by-catch as well as protecting humans. Electropositive met fers significant losses from shark by-catch. Longlining uses als, particularly the Lanthanide metals, known or hereinafter multiple baited individual fish hooks with leaders strung at developed, that are of sufficient electropositivity to repel elas intervals along an often very long (2-3 miles) main fishing mobranchs are acceptable in aspects of the present invention. line. Longline fishing operations routinely target Swordfish 0010. According to a non-limiting embodiment of the and tuna. The longline hooks, however, are not selective and present invention, an apparatus for repelling elasmobranchs elasmobranchs are sometimes caught in greater numbers than is provided comprising an electropositive metal. Preferably, the intended catch. The result is great loss of life in elasmo the electropositive metal is a Lanthanide metal. More prefer branchs and significant financial losses in the longline indus ably, the electropositive metal is a Mischmetal. Electroposi try. Elasmobranchs cause additional losses in the longline tive metals may have a shape of a cylinder, a cone, a circle, a fishing industry by scavenging marketable fish caught on cube, a disk, a bar, a sphere, a plate, a rod, a ring, a tube, a stick longlines before the fish may be retrieved for processing. or a block. 0005 Elasmobranchs also represent a problem in the com 0011 Electropositive metals of the present invention pref mercial trawling industry. Trawling is a commercial fishing erably have a revised Pauling electronegativity of less then method that catches fish in nets. Elasmobranchs cause sig 1.32. In a non-limiting embodiment, an electropositive metal nificant losses for trawlers because they scavenging fish has a cathode half-cell standard electrode potential greater caught in trawl nets before they are retrieved for processing. then 1.9 Volts in aqueous Solution. In a non-limiting embodi As such, valuable fish are often lost to shark predation. Also, ment, the electropositive metal is a Lanthanide metal, a Mis sharks often tear holes in the nets, resulting in partial or chmetal, an Alkaline Earth metal, an Alkali metal, or a Group complete loss of catch and significant repair costs. 3 metal on the periodic table. 0006. There has been a long-felt need for methods and 0012. According to a first non-limiting aspect of the devices to deter elasmobranchs from commercial fishing present invention, an apparatus is provided comprising an lines and nets. Attempts in the middle of the twentieth century electropositive metal and a buoy, a barge, a net, fishing tackle were made to protect trawl nets with electric discharge or any combination thereof. Fishing tackle may comprise a devices (Nelson, “Shark Attack and Repellency Research: An longline, a main line, a gangion, a branchline, a weight, a Overview. Shark Repellents from the Sea ed. Bernhard buoy, a net, or any combination thereof. Zahuranec (1983) at pg. 20). Nevertheless, no commercially 0013. According to a second non-limiting aspect of the effective repellent has yet to be made available for reducing present invention, an apparatus is provided comprising an shark by-catch in the commercial fishing industry or for electropositive metal and a fish hook. Such fish hook may be reducing loss of valuable fish or fishing tackle to shark pre individual or attached to longline or mainline and Such fish dation. Further, Applicant is unaware of any consideration in hook may have a single or multiple hooks. the art of the use of electropositive metals to repel elasmo 0014. According to a third non-limiting aspect of the branchs to limit by-catch and other losses from elasmo present invention, an apparatus is provided comprising a Surf branchs. board and an electropositive metal. 0007 An effective shark repellent would not only be valu 0015. In fourth non-limiting aspect of the present inven able to the fishing industry but also would be valuable for tion, a method is provided for repelling elasmobranchs com protecting humans from shark attacks. No effective repellent prising attaching an electropositive metal to a human body or US 2014/0360084 A1 Dec. 11, 2014 to clothing or accessories associated with a human body. In an Snorkeling or diving with an electropositive metal in accor aspect of the invention, an electropositive metal may be dance with the present invention. attached to a human ankle or wrist. In a further aspect an electropositive metal may be attached to a bracelet. In yet a DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION further aspect an electropositive metal may be attached to a belt, a weight belt for diving or flippers. In yet a further aspect, 0025 “By-catch’ is any kind of fish that is caught in a an electropositive metal may be housed within a surfboard or fishing operation wherein the catching of the fish is not the attached to a Surfboard. In yet another aspect, an electroposi object of the fishing operation. For example, if the target fish tive metal may be trailed along with a human in water. of a longline fishing operation is tuna, an elasmobranch caught on a hook of the longline is by-catch.