Radiotracking Fish Passage

Radiotracking studies can provide detailed information on fish behavior through a navigation or past in-river obstructions. The design of a tracking study can be tailored greatly depending on equipment and man-power resources available.

Listening Stations
Remote listening stations can be deployed at intervals along a stretch of river. Where buoys are moored mid-stream larger boats may be required to deploy the moorings.

Listening Station Deployed
Acoustic listening buoys can be deployed at strategic locations to actively relay signals from tagged fish back to on-shore data loggers.

Standard Equipment
Standard equipment for an active tracking study usually comprises of a radio / acoustic receiver, a GPS receiver with differential lock capability. Power is normally supplied to all units using sealed lead-acid batteries. The entire tracking unit can be housed in a water tight enclosure or case.

Equipment Onboard
The greatest advantage of having all relevant equipment stored in a single case is that it allow equipment to be easily transferred, mid-tracking, between smaller boats upstream and larger boats used on open water.

Release Point
Smolts being used in a tracking study are released downstream from holding tanks on the river-side. Smolts will often hold in such areas, prior to migrating downstream, to orientate themselves.

Manual Tracking
When salmon start to move their progress can be tracked from a boat. Using directional receivers, the position of a target fish can be tracked from a distance.

Port Traffic
Over open water the problems associated with tracking target fish can be compounded by the presence of merchant shipping.

Navigation in Open Water
Primarily for safety, on open water, larger boats must be used. In such deeper water use of faster boats can aid in the search of escaped target fish.