-Obstacles in rivers are considered to be one of the main threats to diadromous fish. As a result of the recent collapse of the European eel, the European Commission introduced a Regulation, requiring to reduce all sources of anthropogenic mortality, including those caused by passing through hydropower turbines. Improving knowledge about migration triggers and processes is crucial to assess and mitigate the impact of obstacles. In our study, we tracked 97 tagged silver eels in a fragmented river situated in the Western France (the River Dronne). Using the movement ecology framework, and implementing a Bayesian state-space model, we confirmed the influence of river discharge on migration triggering and the distance travelled by fish. We also demonstrated that, in our studied area, there is a small window of opportunity for migration. Moreover, we found that obstacles have a significant impact on distance travelled. Combined with the small window, this suggests that assessment of obstacles impact on downstream migration should not be limited to quantifying mortality at hydroelectric facilities, but should also consider the delay induced by obstacles, and its effects on escapement. The study also suggests that temporary turbines shutdown may mitigate the impacts of hydropower facilities in rivers with migration process similar to those observed here.

This study describes the behaviour of radio-tagged returning Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., at the Golfech-Malause hydroelectric complex on the River Garonne, France. The particularity of this complex is that it is fitted with a fish lift, a type of fishway rarely tested for salmon. Only forty seven percent of salmon succeeded in passing. Frequenting of both the tailrace and the foot of the plant, where the lift was located, decreased rapidly during the blockage. Successful salmon spent proportionally more time near the entrance of the lift. The high mean number of visits to the lift entrance before upstream passage (51) suggested the lift was not sufficiently attractive. Evidence is also given of the difficulties specific to fish lifts that involve trapping fish: the V-shaped entrance of the fish lift holding pool could inhibit salmon without even guaranteeing a non-return effect.

Résumé. -L'état physiologique des poissons a été estimé, pour une part, par l'évaluation mensuelle, au cours de quatre années (1984, 1989, 1990, 1991), de caractéristiques morphophysiologiques et de la composition somatique chez deux espèces différant par leur régime alimentaire : la perche et le gardon. Les valeurs obtenues ont démontré qu'il y a certaines années (1984, 1989), en été, un ralentissement de la croissance pondérale, une diminution ou un arrêt de l'accrétion protéique accompagné d'une modification de la concentration d'acides aminés ainsi qu'une chute de la teneur en lipides somatiques. Ces résultats indiquent nettement l'existence, dans la retenue de Pareloup, de conditions nutritionnelles plus ou moins favorables aux populations pisciaires, durant la période estivale. Par ailleurs, la détermination de paramètres sanguins, au cours d'un cycle annuel (1992)(1993), chez plusieurs espèces de poissons (brème, chevesne, brochet, sandre, perche) a révélé que si la valeur de l'hématocrite, la cholestérolémie, la triglycéridémie et la protéinémie sont, d'une manière générale, relativement stables, la glycémie varierait avec la photopériode et le taux d'insuline circulante serait en relation avec le cycle sexuel, pour la plupart des espèces.Mots-clés. -Poissons, retenue, composition somatique, paramètres sanguins.Abstract. -The physiological state of fish was first assessed by monthly evaluation in four years (1 984, 1989, 1990, 1991) of certain morphophysiological characteristics and of somatic composition in two species (perch and roach) with different dietary habits. In 1984 and 1989, a slowing down in weight gain, a decrease or an interruption in protein accretion associated with changes in amino acid contents, and a fall in somatic lipid levels were observed in summer. These results clearly point to dietary conditions 258 F. Vellas et al.in Pareloup Reservoir which are more or less favorable to fish populations during this period. In addition, blood parameter rneasurernents, carried out frorn 1992 to 1993 in various fish species (bream, chub, pike, pike-perch, perch), generally showed relatively unchanged values for hematocrit and plasma cholesterol, triglyceride and protein contents, while plasma glucose levels appeared dependent on the photoperiod and circulating insulin rates on the reproductive cycle, for most species.

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