Monitoring systems on the Toce River have recently been activated under Action D3 to assess the effectiveness of the Prata fish passage and of the Lake Tana fish passage.
The evaluation of effectiveness is carried out through two monitoring systems: detection by PIT tag antenna and video-monitoring.
The PIT tag (Passive Integrated Transponder) is a small microchip inserted between the pelvic fins or in the abdominal cavity of fish, bearing a unique and, therefore, easily identifiable code. The PIT Tag is activated whenever it arrives in the vicinity of a special instrument (a portable player or a fixed antenna) that detects its code. In both the fish passages (Prata and Lake Tana) PIT Tag antennas have been installed to detect the transit of marked fish and, thanks to these antennas, it will be possible to evaluate the effectiveness of the fish passages and to carry out insights on the movements of marked fish.
Video-monitoring is a monitoring system adopted to verify the functionality of fish passage and allows to detect, thanks to a camera and specific software, the transit of fish fauna. Specifically, the fish passage built at Lake Tana is equipped with a monitoring cabin, that is, a room in which, thanks to the presence of a large window, you can see what happens underwater. Inside the cabin, a camera connected to a computer with a specific software has been placed and it captures images where motion is detected.
