APEM Ltd were recently commissioned by Mackenzie Construction to deploy a team of fisheries scientists to the Scottish Crinan Canal, to undertake a fish rescue.
Some of the APEM team undertaking a fish rescue
Major engineering works can require canals to be drained and therefore demand planning to make sure that potential impacts are controlled. As part of Scottish Canals’ ongoing Crinan Canal winter works programme, local children got to witness APEM’s specialist team conduct a fish rescue from dewatered sections of the canal between Locks 5 and 15.
APEM’s Matthew Heeps, Fiona Stephen, and Alexandria McAlpine were well prepared for the week-long fish rescue to help preserve fish populations within the canal. It was essential to relocate the fish as soon as possible, as dewatering left the fish more vulnerable to predators as there were notable populations of heron, otter and other predators in the area. The fish were removed by a process of electrofishing, which momentarily stuns the fish with a mild electrical current, allowing them to be removed and placed into aerated recovery tanks, before being transported to watered sections of the canal for release.
The team were also asked to participate in a community engagement event at Oakfield Bridge, showcasing their work to local residents and allowing them a rare opportunity to have an up-close encounter with the fish they had rescued, and to watch them be released to safety.
APEM’s Matthew Heeps holding some brown trout
Matthew Heeps, Senior Fisheries Scientist said:
For ourselves, it was fantastic to be a part of something so positive and it was really great to see so many youngsters getting excited about the environment, different fish species, and more engaged with the fabulous resource that is the Crinan Canal, right on their doorstep!
In total, the team managed to successfully rescue and relocate over 1000, comprising six species: Brown Trout, European Eels, Roach, Flounder, Stickleback and Minnow.
“We genuinely couldn’t be happier with this result and are delighted to have been able to continue this important work, that we started with our first visit in 2020!”
APEM’s Fiona Stephen and Alexandria McAlpine with one of the brown trout that were rescued and relocated
APEM operates 24/7 and thanks to a nationwide network of offices, can respond to projects without delay.
APEM offer a full range of services to the construction and transport industries, from assisting with planning applications, surveys and monitoring to emergency deployments. For more information, please contact us.
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