Post-smolt netting - why and how

Some interesting facts

Using a sweep net to capture the fish, they are then held in baskets before processing.

Each fish yields a lot of information:

Sea lice counts - lice are counted and the stages noted. The information is shared with the neighbouring farm and used for management purposes.

Length and weight - these can be used to determine the condition index and give an idea of the health of the fish.

Scale samples - used to age the fish, we can also find out if they have spawned.

Tags - each fish is tagged behind the eye. Recaptures give information on marine migrations and growth rates

Reports detailing post-smolt netting results are available under 'Publications'.

The oldest fish - K56, recaptured 5 years after tagging
The most travelled - G33 was captured in the River Hope 6 weeks after tagging in the Laxford estuary
The most recaptured in one year - I20 was taken 3 times in the Polla in 2010
Direction of travel - no Polla fish have been re-captured in the Laxford, although Laxford fish have been taken in the Polla