Electrofishing – Toolbox

Chelsea McKinney interviews fisheries biologist Alan Temple, USFWS explaining all about electrofishing.

Electrofishing uses direct current electricity flowing between a submerged cathode and anode. This affects the movement of the fish so that they swim toward the anode, where they can be caught. Electrofishing is a common scientific survey method used to sample fish populations to determine abundance, density, and species composition. When performed correctly, electrofishing results in no permanent harm to fish, which return to their natural state in as little as two minutes after being caught.

Facebook LIVE Episode

Date recorded: 2020-06-18

Speaker: Brett Billings, Host, USFWS; Alan Temple, Fisheries Scientist, USFWS

Description: Learn about the technology biologists use to catch fish. Dr. Alan Temple will be discussing the interaction between electricity and fish!