An assessment of the effectiveness of a vertical-slot fishway for non-salmonid fish at a tidal barrier on a large tropical/subtropical river

Published source details Stuart I.G. & Mallen-Cooper M. (1999) An assessment of the effectiveness of a vertical-slot fishway for non-salmonid fish at a tidal barrier on a large tropical/subtropical river. Regulated Rivers-Research & Management, 15, 575-590.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Install vertical-slot fish passes Action Link

Install vertical-slot fish passes

A study in 1995–1997 in a river in Queensland, Australia (Stuart & Mallen-Cooper 1999) found that a vertical-slot fish pass at a tidal barrage was used by adult longfin eels Anguilla reinhardtii to travel upstream but not by longfin elvers, and eels used the fish pass more during the night than day. During 38 days, a total of 289 adult longfin eels travelled to the top of the fish pass. Longfin elvers were reported to be abundant at the bottom of the fish pass, but none were captured at the top. Adult longfin eels used the fish pass more at night than during the day (data not reported). In 1994, an existing pool-and-weir fish pass (in a concrete channel, 41-m long x 1.8-m wide) was modified by removing overflow baffles, extending the height of the channel to 1.7 m, and installing 17 vertical-slot baffles (each 0.15-m wide) made of marine plywood. The vertical-slot fish pass contained 16 pools (each 1.95-m long x 1.83-m wide) and one longer upstream pool (9.65 m long). From October 1995 to February 1997, eels were captured in traps placed at the top and bottom of the fishway for 24 h each on consecutive days (total 38 paired days). 

(Summarised by: Anna Berthinussen)