Wire Counts

[salmonboy41]

I was watching a TV show on fishing in Alaska and I noticed that in Alaska they have wire counts where they keep track of how many fish enter a particular creek/river.

So I was wondering if there is any such activity going here on Lake O. As with this year appearing to be such a down year for salmon having wire counts on key rivers like the Niagara and Salmon river would give us valuable information as to how many salmon are actually returning instead of just guessing based on fishing success.  And in the case of this year it would allow us to document whether or not the numbers of mature salmon are truly low.  Which if they are, would make it so that the DEC or who ever not be able to say it was the weather or you where here on the wrong day.

[King Davy]

Salmonboy41. Alaska has these sensors in place counting fish, because of both the Sport and commercial fishery. No fishery is managed to the minute like Alaska's and much of that finger on the pulse is to not allow the Commercial netters to take more fish out of the system then a proposed quota that would damage the natural replennishment of a species. Salmon Trawlers will often have to sit at idel in the embayments awaiting a signal from AF&G to go ahead and drop their nets...and depending how the commercial netting goes on a daily basis a season can end in a day or two.

 

So the answer to your question for LO is no, Some of the Great lakes tribs have Weirs to capture fish for eggs and milt, none that I'm aware of have sensor counters. Our fish swim into the front door of the hatchery.  

 

and I have no idea what a sensor system like that costs, and how many resources it takes to manage it....but I would imagine it's expensive. Hope that helps.

[salmonboy41]

Yeah that makes sense do to the fact that there fishery is natural and ours is stocked.

I just thought it would be cool to see what the numbers of fish where that come in, and that it would provide some useful data.

I was actually thinking it would be cheap to have a wire but I'm not sure what it would involve to have one and if there was a lot of managing to run it instead of having just be computerized(a totally automated process) I would agree that the cost would be to great.