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From dam removals to hatcheries and habitat restoration, conservationists are pulling out all the stops to help save salmon fisheries. That includes companies like Whooshh Innovations, which developed an amazing, high-tech fish cannon to help spawning salmon pass over dams in seconds. No doubt the fish have some stories to tell at the end of their airborne journey.
Fish Cannon Sends Spawning Salmon On Strange Trip
Invented in 2014, the Passage Portal system is a series of soft, pressurized tubes that propel fish up and over obstructions of any height. In the video, the system is fed by human staffers who wrangle their targets by hand. It can also operate automatically, with an intake that fish swim into by themselves.
Once a fish is in the tube, cameras capture 18 high-resolution images to determine whether it is a native species. Automated gates open and close to sort the fish, only allowing native species to pass through. This helps to prevent invasives from wreaking havoc on delicate spawning grounds.
Airborne Salmon Gain New Perspective
There’s something captivating about watching the salmon fly high in the air through translucent tubes. As the video shows, they shoot through stretches of forest, past buildings and over lofty dams before landing with a splash at the far end.
What could the fish be thinking about their unusual experience? We’re not sure, but if Whooshh ever develops a recreational version for people we would love to try it out.