Ecological Function Assessment for a Fishways of Geumgang Estuary Dike

Abstract

The ichthyofauna and passing efficiency of fishways were surveyed in Geumgang estuary from May to October in 2009. The fishes collected were classified into 24 species, 23 genera belonging to 8 families. These 24 species consist of 17 freshwater fish species, 3 migration fish species and 4 peripheral freshwater fish species. Seasonal function of fishways showed the migration from May to June and returning to the reservoir of fishes be washed out to sea when sluice gate open by rainfall in July and August. Most of the fishes catched in fishways moved from middle tide to high tide except for July. Fishes ascended fishways between the middle ebb tide and the ebb tide only July, because small freshwater swim against the fishway for leaching the reservoir through the newly formed flow when the water level at the fishway kept dropping. Small fishes that body length less than 200 mm mainly used gabion type fishways and fishes over 200 mm utilized a cascade type fishways. Based on the total individuals collected, the efficiency of the fishway was 1 % for the anadromous fish and over 80 % for freshwater fish. Therefore, it is concluded that ecological function of the fishway in the Geumgang estuary dike be very important not only for fish migration but also freshwater fishes's returning.