Introduction to Electrofishing Course Here are a few pictures of Stewart Parsons of Ellendale Environmental on an Introduction to Electrofishing course last week. The course took place over two days and was run by Inverness College and The Scottish Fisheries Co-ordination Centre (SFCC). Electrofishing uses electricity to stun fish before they are caught. Electrofishing is a common scientific survey method used to sample fish populations to determine abundance, density and species composition. When performed correctly, electrofishing results in no permanent harm to fish, and they return to their natural state in as little as two minutes after being stunned. Electrofishing uses two electrodes which deliver current into the water to stun the fish. A high-voltage difference causes a current to flow from the anode to the cathode, and when a fish encounters a large enough potential gradient on this path, it becomes affected by the electricity. Usually, pulsed direct current (DC) is applied, which causes galvanotaxis in the fish. Galvanotaxis is uncontrolled muscular convulsion that results in the fish swimming toward the anode. At least two people are required for an effective electrofishing crew: one to operate the anode, and the other to catch the stunned fish with a dip net. A big thank you to Nick Barker of the Ness & Beauly Fisheries Trust for teaching the course and being very informative, and thank you also to the guys on the course who made it such good fun!
Posted on: Sun, 04 May 2014 19:07:06 +0000
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