General Care Of Fish
When handling fish, the following rules should be observed…
- Avoid fishing in high water temperatures (16°C to 18°C for salmonids, 22°C to 24°C for coarse fish especially when pike and perch are present)
- Use separate bins for large and small fish and for eel.
- Provide aeration (oxygen diffuser plus compressed air is best) in both catch bins and fish storage bins – this is essential in warmer weather and when large numbers of fish are expected.
- Keep-cages and keep-nets are a good alternative to fish storage bins but ensure there is adequate depth of clean, gently-flowing, well-aerated water. If these conditions are not available at the survey site then storage bins are preferable.
- Carry a range of sizes and types of measuring boards to reflect the sizes and species of fish encountered.
Bad handling of fish which are already under some stress as a result of capture can exacerbate problems and cause injury.
E-Fish (UK) Limited gratefully acknowledge the information supplied by the UK Environment Agency from which sections of the content of this article have been reproduced or adapted.
Please Note that the content of these pages is for general information purposes only and does not constitute ‘advice’. Readers should always consult their specific product documentation, and seek the advice of an appropriately qualified professional before undertaking any electrofishing activity. For further information, please refer to our “Disclaimer” page.
