An innovative system for monitoring fish migration has been installed at the St. Wenceslas Dam on the Otava River in Písek. This pilot project, implemented by the Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters at the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice (FFPW USB), is the first of its kind in the Czech Republic and will provide valuable data on the functionality of fish passes.
Although the law obliges to build fish passes, their actual effectiveness is not commonly monitored. The aim of this project is to evaluate which fish species use the crossing and in what quantities, which will help to better understand fish migration and improve the future construction of these facilities.
How does the system work?
The system uses special camera technology with machine learning features to automatically identify the species and number of migrating fish. A camera placed in the water captures the fish using line scanning, based on which the software reconstructs the silhouette of the fish and identifies it.
Importance for science and fisheries
This project brings new opportunities not only for research on fish migration, but also for ecosystem protection and fisheries management. The Faculty works closely with the Czech Fishermen's Association and the data obtained can help in the fight against invasive species and the protection of endangered fish.
Long-term research and next steps
The Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters USB will continuously test the system and analyse the collected data. The research is funded by the Czech Technology Agency project focused on fish migration analysis and invasive species control.
Important notice
To protect the monitored reach, movement in the fish passage is prohibited. Fishermen must keep a minimum distance of 50 meters from the crossing.
This project demonstrates that the Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters USB is a pioneer in applied research on fish migration and contributes to more effective management of watercourses in the country.
More details about the project can be found in a report on Kurýr TV, Český rozhlas and Česká televize (18:47).
