Wednesday June 9, 2010
Although this photo appears historic, it really isn’t. This FISHBIO fisheries technician is measuring a black bass collected recently during an electrofishing survey that was conducted with a new, custom-designed Smith-Root electrofishing vessel.
Electrofishing uses a direct current of electricity to temporarily stun fish, and then they are safely captured with a net. When performed correctly by trained personnel, electrofishing results in no permanent harm to fish, which return to their natural state in as little as two minutes after being stunned. Night sampling consistently yields significantly more species and greater numbers of fish in near-shore waters.
Photo source: FISHBIO