Low mortality rate in silver eels (Anguilla anguilla L.) passing through a small hydropower station
Rafał Bernaś A C , Piotr Dębowski A , Michał Skóra A , Grzegorz Radtke A , Jacek Morzuch A and Andrzej Kapusta B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Inland Fisheries Institute in Olsztyn, Department of Migratory Fishes in Rutki, PO-83-330 Żukowo, Poland.
B Inland Fisheries Institute in Olsztyn, Department of Hydrobiology, Oczapowskiego 10, PO-10-719 Olsztyn, Poland.
C Corresponding author. Email: rber@infish.com.pl
Marine and Freshwater Research 68(11) 2081-2086 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF16396
Submitted: 8 February 2016 Accepted: 11 March 2017 Published: 29 May 2017
Abstract
In many regulated rivers, silver eels (Anguilla anguilla L.) experience significant mortality as they pass through small hydropower stations (HPS) during their downstream migration. There has been a huge collapse in the recruitment of this species, primarily because of the destruction of river–ocean connectivity with overfishing. The direct mortality caused by small hydro turbines varies between different places and depends on many factors. The aim of the present study was to assess the mortality rate of silvers eels passing through a small HPS equipped with a Francis turbine in a small Pomeranian river using acoustic telemetry. During the experiment, no direct mortality occurred as a result of passage through the HPS turbine. However, three individuals were believed to have suffered from injuries or passage trauma.
Additional keywords: Francis turbine, turbine mortality.
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