Smart Fishways

Modern society currently requires large volumes of fresh water. The result is the installation of river barriers, causing the fragmentation of habitats as well as changes to the ecology of freshwater systems. Stepped fishways can allow fish to move freely up rivers to complete their life cycle. However, the variability of rivers modifies the hydraulic conditions within fishways, affecting the free movement of fish. The EU-funded Smart Fishways project will address this challenge by assessing the effect of hydrological variability on stepped fishways and developing a technological and methodological framework to monitor fishways' performance in real time. By combining fish biology, hydraulics and sensor networks, a new generation of smart fishways will be created, capable of self-deciding their optimal configuration.

Duration: 1 September 2021 - 21 December 2023