Monitoring of Fish Migration in Fishways and Rivers—The Infrared Fish Counter “Riverwatcher” as a Suitable Tool for Long-Term Monitoring

Abstract

With the globally increasing awareness regarding the interconnectivity between freshwater ecosystems, projects for re-establishing connectivity with fishways as well as stock management are increasing. To ensure the quality and impact of such projects and for extending the scientific state of knowledge on this topic, a detailed monitoring of these measures is mandatory. Automatic, passive, and contactless counting devices can play a major role in these long-term monitoring projects, both for animal protection (non-invasive methods) and technical issues (comparatively low-cost systems in terms of time). Infrared fish counters can be used in a variety of fisheries applications and have proven particularly valuable in situations when long-term or continuous monitoring in lotic systems is required. Herein, we describe the function and technical capabilities of the VAKI Riverwatcher fish counter, provide information regarding its installation, and highlight some specific, practical applications of this technology. We discuss how the Riverwatcher can be used to validate the functionality of fish passage structures and to provide abundance estimates of migratory fish populations. Finally, we call attention to the challenges associated with operating monitoring equipment in variable river systems and briefly discuss potential sources of error that can influence the monitoring results and approaches to minimize or alleviate these errors.