Successful design and operation of fish passage systems are important to protect fish communities from impacts of hydroelectric dams in the Río de la Plata River basin. We evaluated the performance of an elevator lift system to pass adult fish through Yacyretá dam on the Paraná River between 1995 and 1998, both for mechanical reliability and performance. The elevator lift system was mechanically inoperative 30-38% of the time during the October-December period of greatest fish migration. Target species represented 30% of total fish number in gillnet samples in the tailwater, but constituted only 10% of the total number of fish transferred. Fish collected within the system were dominated by Pimelodus clarias (>69%), although this species represented less than 10% of captures in experimental gillnets set in the tailwater. Prochilodus lineatus, a key species, represented less than 5% of transferred fish, but constituted 22.1% of tailwater samples. Estimated number of fish transferred per year ranged between 1 210 000 (1995) and 3 610 000 (1996) with biomass ranging from 631 to 1989 tons, respectively. We estimated a fish passage efficiency of 1.88% for all species and 0.62% for target species. At this efficiency, transferred species would increase the total fish yield in the reservoir by as much as 4.9 kg/ha/year, but only 0.5 kg/ha/year for target species. We conclude that fish transfer efficiency is inadequate to maintain populations of target species in the Paraná River system. We identify critical research needs to improve the passage of fish at dams.

This study assesses the change in fish exploitation patterns of the sábalo fisheries of the lower Paraná River basin based on hydrological, biological, and fishery indicators. From historical catch records, we recorded a shift from a lightly and moderate exploited status before 2001 to a heavily exploited one, as a result of the development of sábalo exports from 2001 onwards.Channel and floodplain connectivity indices demonstrated that the Paraná exhibited highly favorable hydrological conditions between 1972 and 1999 but more adverse conditions from 1999 to 2009, as a consequence of flood pulses reduction coincident with a fishing mortality increment. A total catch of 15,000 tons, including local consumption, regional market, informal sales, and exportation volumes, was estimated as the maximum sustainable catch. That level was instead exceeded 3 fold in 2004, in parallel with a decrease in the mean fish length from 48 to 42 cm, along with a reduction in both the mesh size from 16 to 12 cm and megaspawner proportion, and an increase of fishing mortality. Although growth overfishing was not noted, an analysis of the spawning potential ratio trend indicated that recruitment overfishing took place during 2005, since the fishing mortality rate was 4 times greater than the natural mortality rate. These observations suggest that less favorable hydrological conditions after 1999 coupled with a coincident high fishing pressure could have impacted the sábalo population biomass. Management of sábalo fisheries requires to set aside a single economic vision of the resource use moving to an ecosystem-oriented approach that incorporate, among others components, the hydrological regime, species life history traits, fishing impacts on other species, and main stakeholders socioeconomic requirements as key elements for the preservation of fishery sustainability.Este estudio evalúa el cambio en los patrones de explotación de las pesquerías de sábalo (Prochilodus lineatus) en la baja cuenca del río Paraná basado en indicadores hidrológicos, biológicos y pesqueros. A partir de registros históricos de capturas se notó un desplazamiento de un estado de explotación ligera o moderada previa a 2001 a otro de explotación intensiva como resultado del desarrollo de una pesquería para exportación a partir de ese año. Los índices de conectividad hidrológica demostraron que el Paraná exhibió condiciones muy favorables para el sábalo entre 1972 y 1999, pero más adversas entre 1999 y 2009 al reducirse el caudal, que coincidió con un aumento en la mortalidad por pesca. Se estimó en 15.000 toneladas la captura máxima sostenible, incluyendo tanto la destinada al consumo local, venta informal y en mercados regionales, como la asignada a exportación. Este nivel, sin embargo, se triplicó en 2004, siendo acompañado por una disminución de la talla media y máxima de captura de 48 a 42 cm y de 64 a 58 cm respectivamente, una reducción de abertura de malla de 16 a 12 cm y un descenso en la proporción de megareproductores. Aun cuando no se detectó sobrepe...

Over 450 dams have been constructed in the upper Paraná River basin in Brazil during the past 40 years. River regulation by these dams is considered a primary factor in the reduction of fish diversity and depletion of migratory species. In contrast to the upper Paraná Basin, only two large dams (both with upstream fish passage) have been constructed in the lower La Plata River basin. Fishery managers in the lower basin are concerned that existing and planned dams will further deplete populations of migratory fish species that constitute important recreational and commercial fisheries as has occurred in the upper basin. We assessed the sustainability of fisheries in the lower basin in the face of increased river regulation by using literature information to describe the efficiency of the fish passage systems used to mitigate river regulation impacts on fisheries. Our analysis shows that fish passage systems at both lower basin dams, Yacyreta and Salto Grande, fail to transfer sufficient numbers of upstream migrants to sustain populations of migratory species. Fish passage efficiency of target species in the fish elevators at Yacyreta is less than 2%. Fish diversity in the fish elevators is low because about 85% of the fish belong to only three nonmigratory species (Pimelodus maculatus, Oxydoras kneri and Rhinodoras dorbignyi). Large migratory species targeted for passage rarely comprise even 5 % of the fish number in the passage system. The two Borland locks at Salto Grande Dam cannot dependably pass large numbers of migratory species because passage efficiency is dependent upon interactions of powerhouse and spillway operation with tailrace elevations. Most species in the Borland system were either a small catfish (Parapimelodus valenciennis) or a engraulid (Lycengraulis grossidens). Again, the targeted migratory species were not abundant in the passage system. We conclude that existing fish passage technology in the lower basin is inadequate and that improved fish passage designs are required to conserve migratory species. These designs must be based on integrated information from geomorphology (habitat), natural fish behavior, fish swimming capabilities, and detailed population studies.Mais de 450 barragens foram construídas no alto rio Paraná, Brasil, nos últimos 40 anos. A regulação dos rios por barragens é considerada um dos fatores primários de redução da diversidade de peixes e depleção de espécies migratórias. Em contraste, somente duas grandes barragens foram construídas nos trechos mais inferiores da bacia do rio da Prata. No momento, há uma grande preocupação acerca do impacto dos represamentos sobre espécies que se constituem a base da pesca comercial e esportiva na bacia. Este artigo aborda o desempenho das passagens de peixes das barragens de Yacyreta e Salto Grande, monstrando que as mesmas falham na transferência de grandes quantidades de espécies migratórias para os trechos a montante. A barragem de Yacyreta tem dois elevadores com problemas importantes de projeto. Como resultado, a eficiência n...

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The dynamics of many large floodplain rivers are dominated by the flood pulse. The high kinetic energy of the erosive flows associated with the flood pulse forms and reforms the river channel. In general, the flood pulse supports the immense abundance and diversity of river life by transporting nutrients and organic matter into backwaters in spring, supporting primary and secondary production during the summer and redistributing these products to channels as water levels recede. Both North American and South American fluvial-dependent large river fishes exhibit complex, system-level longitudinal and/or lateral movements across life stages that allow them to exploit flood pulse-driven spatial heterogeneity and seasonal connectivity to feed, reproduce and avoid harsh conditions. We argue that two hydraulic variables, the magnitudes of velocity and the spatial velocity gradient, are necessary and sufficient to both understand fish 'hydro-navigation' as well as explain patterns in biogeochemistry and fluvial geomorphology and thereby create a new conceptual framework for large floodplain rivers integrating fluid dynamics, channel morphology, biogeochemical cycling and important elements of fish ecology. We illustrate the framework using summary data from the São Francisco River, Brazil that contains sub-basins possessing different levels of impact and also from the lower Paraná River (Argentina) where natural processes can still be studied. We believe the framework is an important element of large river restoration because it directly links the unique physical and chemical processes of large floodplain rivers to life requirements important to fishes and other biota.

In North America, the Numerical Fish Surrogate (NFS) is used to design fish bypass systems for emigrating juvenile salmon as they migrate from hatchery outfalls and rearing habitats to adult habitat in the oceans. The NFS is constructed of three linked modules: 1) a computational fluid dynamics model describes the complex flow fields upstream of dams at a scale sufficiently resolved to analyze, understand and forecast fish movement, 2) a particle tracking model interpolates hydraulic information from the fixed nodes of the computational fluid model mesh to multiple locations relevant to migrating fish, and 3) a behavior model simulates the cognition and behavior of individual fish in response to the fluid dynamics predicted by the computational fluid dynamics model. These three modules together create a virtual reality where virtual fish exhibit realistic dam approach behaviors and can be counted at dam exits in ways similar to the real world. Once calibrated and validated with measured fish movement and passage data, the NFS can accurately predict fish passage proportions with sufficient precision to allow engineers to select one optimum alternative from among many competing structural or operational bypass alternatives. Although South American fish species are different from North American species, it is likely that the basic computational architecture and numerical methods of the NFS can be used for fish conservation in South America. Consequently, the extensive investment made in the creation of the NFS need not be duplicated in South America. However, its use in South America will require that the behavioral response of the continent's unique fishes to hydrodynamic cues must be described, codified and tested before the NFS can be used to conserve fishes by helping design efficient South American bypass systems. To this end, we identify studies that could be used to describe the movement behavior of South American fishes of sufficient detail that they could be used to develop, calibrate and validate a South American version of the NFS.
Na América do Norte, o Numerical Fish Surrogate (NFS) é utilizado no projeto de sistemas de transposição de juvenis de salmão em seus deslocamentos dos habitats de desova e desenvolvimento inicial para o de adultos, no oceano. O NFS é estruturado em três módulos interconectados: 1) um modelo computacional de dinâmica de fluidos (CFD) que descreve o complexo escoamento acima da barragem em uma escala suficientemente apropriada para analisar, entender e prever os movimentos dos peixes, 2) um modelo de rastreamento de partículas que interpola informações hidráulicas dos nós da malha do modelo computacional para localizações múltiplas relevantes ao peixe em migração, 3) um modelo comportamental que simula o conhecimento e o comportamento de cada peixe em resposta à dinâmica do escoamento predita pelo modelo computacional. Esses três módulos juntos criam uma realidade virtual onde peixes virtuais exibem um comportamento realístico de aproximação da barragem e podem ser contados d...

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The relationship between fish yield and basic limnological information is important to developing sustainable management policies for lake fisheries, particularly when fish data are lacking. Most Patagonian lake fisheries lack the basic statistical information provided by bycatch and effort data. We present a simple first‐order model of fish yield based on the relationship between fish biomass derived from hydroacoustic and gill‐net surveys developed for 18 small Patagonian lakes. Such a model can be used to develop sound management guidelines that can be applied to the many unsampled small lakes of Patagonia for which basic limnological data are available. We also evaluated the value of well‐known models developed from North American data sets. These models consistently underestimated fish yields in the Patagonian lakes, particularly as trophic level increased, illustrating the importance of using region‐specific data to develop fish management guidelines. The poor predictive performance of the North American models could be related to climatic, limnological, and fish community differences between North American and Patagonian lakes.