Biologists from the Ness and Beauly Fisheries Trust (NBFT) have been carrying out electric fishing surveys on the main River Ness this week.
Electric fishing (also known as ‘electrofishing’) is carried out by trained and experienced staff and involves the use of specialist equipment to create an electric field in the water. This temporarily ‘stuns’ the fish allowing them to be easily caught, with the fish fully recovering within minutes.
NBFT staff processing fish captured during the survey (Dochfour Fishings)
It is used as a sampling method to determine the species of fish present at a particular site and their numbers within a defined area or time period. The results can be used to make comparisons regarding the ‘health’ of fish populations from year-to-year or between sites in a river. The information gained is used by the NBFT and Ness District Salmon Fishery Board to inform fisheries management decisions.
The numbers of salmon parr, those juvenile salmon aged between one and four years, recorded at sites along the main River Ness this week were found to be higher than expected. Dr Keith Williams from the NBFT said “It is encouraging to see good numbers of salmon parr in the main stem of the River Ness and in particular the fine condition they are in. Hopefully, they will help boost the size of the smolt run and subsequently the numbers of adult fish returning to the system“.
Juvenile salmon captured during the survey (Dochfour Fishings)
The high numbers of salmon parr recorded in the River Ness this year is an extremely positive sign for the future of the system. Let’s hope that a large proportion of these fish survive the journey to their feeding grounds in the seas off Norway and Greenland and return as healthy adults.
Please note that the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 2003 makes fishing with electricity illegal. However, the Act permits exemptions to be made allowing electric fishing for research purposes with the previous consent in writing from the local District Salmon Fishery Board (DSFB) or Marine Scotland.