UK’s first FFI Siphon Fish Pass installed at Wissington
The Siphon Fish Ladder is an innovative fishway from the Netherlands, which can be applied to facilitate fish passage at any watercourse obstruction and structures…
To compliment ACE’s range of fish and eel pass equipment, ACE are the sole UK supplier of the Vaki Riverwatcher range of fish monitoring technology, providing the ultimate recording and verification of fish migration. Where other counters and cameras offer limitations in results or require unworkable man-hours in verification of results, the Vaki surpasses all expectations.
The Vaki Riverwatcher is an evolved fish counter, using Vaki’s expertise in high volume counting in fish-farming, which when put to use in rivers exceeds all alternative methods in flexibility, reliability and value for money.
The Vaki Riverwatcher uses advanced technology at the head of fish passes or intakes, by taking a series of scans (50 times per second) when a fish enters the scanner section. The hardware then uses intelligent software to produce an accurate silhouette of the fish, allowing validation not only that the scan is indeed a fish, but also allow sizing and classification of species to be determined. Where conditions allow, the scanner can also be fitted with a real-image camera, to validate results with 100% certainty. The use of video validation and RiverWatcher daily provides invaluable information on fish migration patterns and behaviour.
Validation using traditional methods often prohibits lengthy studies, due to the majority of the footage gathered showing no passage, and images that are unclear or open for doubt. With the Vaki Riverwatcher, this is a thing of the past- the camera system only records triggered events, so the results you get are of passage, and even if debris has triggered the camera, it can be discounted with certainty- the Vaki provides the most accurate, wholesome results, with the minimum of wasted time and resource. The value of the results obtained clearly justifies the purchase of the Vaki Riverwatcher, with the return on investment being very quick indeed.
The RiverWatcher is also available for eel passes, to allow accurate monitoring of eel migration.
Using Riverwatcher daily, you can access the camera and records from the comfort of your desk, via a secure portal on the web. The portal can be shared among your piers, or even with the public if desired, to allow the data to be reviewed conveniently. The information gathered shows the shadow of each event, along with the fish’s size, time of passage and where fitted, a photograph- this allows in depth assessment of the passes effectiveness, patterns of migrations and countless other studies.
For more information on the Vaki Riverwatcher, or any fish passage applications, please contact us.