Bertarelli-Annual-Report-2024-FULL - Flipbook - Page 17
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Marine Science 2024
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Developing Analytical,
Technological, and Policy
Tools to Combat IUU fishing
The team continued their work on hardware development
and testing of the ‘Poachbuster’ drone system to increase
battery life and solar energy supply to make the units selfsufficient and capable of performing multiple
flights without human intervention.
Lead Investigator: Dr Francesco Ferretti, Virginia Tech
Team members participated in meetings of the Working
Group of Ecosystem and By-catch contributing to data for
informing the first stock assessment of the Indian Ocean
for the shortfin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus). Historical
analyses on the USSR long-line survey throughout the
Indian Ocean extended the population abundance index
time series necessary to carry out the mako shark stock
assessment, which is now complete and indicating that the
species is overexploited and currently being overfished.
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