The Smolt Spy is FISHBIO’s first fully custom video monitoring system that can be configured for a variety of applications to monitor juvenile and adult fish. The system consists of high-definition Internet Protocol (IP) digital cameras that operate with a computer and software, and have much higher resolution than the closed-circuit television (CCTV) security cameras that are often used for monitoring. The cameras use wide-angle lenses to help eliminate blind spots, and are paired with infrared lights to provide reliable monitoring during low-light conditions while minimizing disturbance to fish.
A major advantage of the Smolt Spy system is the incorporation of motion-detection software, which records video of passing fish as small as 50 mm and greatly reduces the amount of video to review. Digital videos are sent from the cameras to a connected computer and can be saved to portable hard drives, which allows the system to operate with minimal maintenance. Hard drives are periodically replaced and the videos can be reviewed by a trained fisheries technician to quickly identify and count passing fish. FISHBIO has deployed the Smolt Spy in a variety of settings to monitor fish moving through streams, fish ladders and dam infrastructure.