New animations show the secret life of fish(ways)

Imagine living somewhere with a large concrete wall running through the centre and no matter what your efforts you can’t get to the other side of this wall.

This is what many fish in rivers around the world encounter when trying to access the upper reaches of the river.

Weirs and dams act like roadblocks dividing their habitat into smaller sections other than during high-flow periods.

This is where fishways (or fish ladders) come in, enabling fish to move across such barriers.

But have you ever thought about how fishways work for our finned friends?

Our Reconnecting Fish Passage Team have just released two short animations showing how fish navigate through two commonly used fishways - rock ramp fishways and vertical slot fishways.

Both fishways allow fish to quickly move past barriers and access the upper reaches of rivers that were previously blocked to them.

Vertical slot fishways are typically constructed on weir barriers up to 6 m high. Fish enter these through vertical slots and can navigate around the weir through a series of small pools spaced to enable them to easily swim through to the upper level of the weir.

Rock ramp fishways consist of a V-shaped channel with baffles that pool and slow water flow, creating suitable conditions for fish to swim up the ramp.

To see how fishways work check out these two animations: The secret life of fish(ways) - Rock Ramp Fishways and The secret life of fish(ways) - Vertical Slot Fishways.

You can also find out more about fishways by checking out the DPI Fisheries webpage.

Reconnecting Fish Passage is a DPI Fisheries project funded via the Marine Estate Management Strategy.