As part of an ongoing effort to prevent the spread and facilitate the removal of non-native Pacific pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha), the Norwegian government sponsored a research and development (R&D) competition to develop an automated system that identifies and traps pink salmon for removal. In partnership with Simsonar, a Finland-based company specializing in underwater camera systems and software development, FISHBIO helped develop the AquaSort system.
The AquaSort uses neural network (AI) technology to identify passing fish to the species level, measure their length, and then trap or release them based on their identification. The system works by controlling the progress of fish through a multi-chamber platform equipped with three Simsonar cameras that trigger a set of actions. Initially, detection of an approaching fish triggers an entry gate to open, allowing the fish to swim into the identification chamber which houses Simsonar’s FishCounter camera. Fish are then automatically identified, causing the selection door above the exit gate to adjust and direct them into the river or into a trap. Once the selection door is in the correct position, the exit gate opens, allowing the fish to swim to its routed location.
The multi-stage R&D competition included concept design, prototype fabrication, dry testing, and in-river testing, with required review and approval by a panel of experts following each stage. Our team advanced through all the phases of the competition, and we built the prototype in our Oakdale fabrication facility before shipping it to northern Norway for testing during the 2025 pink salmon run.
FISHBIO’s decades of experience in fabrication, weir operation, and installing monitoring and research equipment in large rivers came into play during the prototype testing phase. Before installation, the local fishing association provided input and suggestions on the entry gate design, which our project team was able to implement on the spot. The team installed the AquaSort in July 2025 at a weir on the Reparfjord, integrated in a weir that FISHBIO had built, shipped and installed there three years prior.
Delayed and above-average snowmelt lead made for a challenging installation, but with heavy equipment and local support the AquaSort was successfully installed and ready for testing. Ongoing refinements and multiple software updates throughout the testing period allowed us to optimize system operation and performance, and the AquaSort selectively routed thousands of pink salmon and native species to their designated locations, greatly facilitating pink salmon removal and drastically reducing handling stress on native species.
Once optimized, the AquaSort reduced the need to handle native species by 94% and trapped non-natives with an efficiency exceeding 97%, while the software’s species identification achieved over 99% accuracy. Prototype testing concluded with the local fishing association requesting to keep and maintain the AquaSort system beyond the anticipated testing period, ultimately removing and storing it independently, in anticipation of its next deployment.