scholarly journals Evaluation of techniques used to protect tailrace fishes during turbine maneuvers at Três Marias Dam, Brazil

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 723-730 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco de Andrade ◽  
Ivo Gavião Prado ◽  
Raquel Coelho Loures ◽  
Alexandre Lima Godinho

Turbine dewatering and stop/startup may lead to the death of tons of fish at Brazilian power dams. The Três Marias Dam (TMD) on the São Francisco River has adopted two techniques to reduce the quantity of fish, mostly mandi (Pimelodus maculatus, Pimelodidae), affected by these maneuvers. They are: (i) spill before turbine dewatering to attract fish out of the tailrace, and (ii) fish screens in the stop log slots during turbine stop/startup to prevent fish from entering the draft tube. Here, we investigated whether spill and fish screens reduced the quantity of fish affected by turbine dewatering and stop/startup at TMD. We also determined whether the biomass of mandi trapped during turbine dewatering may be predicted by turbine discharge (Q) and/or catch per unit effort (CPUE) of mandis in the tailrace. Due to insufficient statistical power, our data were inconclusive as to whether spill attracted mandi out of the tailrace. We verified that the presence of fish screens significantly reduced the biomass of dead/moribund fish during turbine stop/startup. The biomass of mandis trapped in the draft tube during turbine dewatering was mainly influenced by Q (r² = 0.67), followed by CPUE (r² = 0.49). Since the trapped fish biomass correlated negatively with Q, we recommend that Q be maximized before turbine dewatering to reduce quantity of mandi trapped in the draft tube. The information presented here may be useful for reducing the quantity of fish affected by turbine maneuvers at TMD, as well as other dams.

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 806-808 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonardo Cardoso Resende ◽  
Anderson Oliveira do Carmo ◽  
Daniela Núñez-Rodriguez ◽  
Juliana da Silva Martins Pimentel ◽  
Alessandra Gomes Bedore ◽  
...  

2012 ◽  
Vol 57 (12) ◽  
pp. 2436-2448 ◽  
Author(s):  
MATTHIAS EMMRICH ◽  
IAN J. WINFIELD ◽  
JEAN GUILLARD ◽  
ATLE RUSTADBAKKEN ◽  
CHARLOTTE VERGÈS ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Peressin ◽  
Rafael Couto Rosa Souza ◽  
Alexandre Lima Godinho

Abstract: Aim This study compared the efficiency of two baits (earthworm and cow heart) for monitoring the abundance of mandi catfish (Pimelodus maculatus) in the tailrace of hydropower dams, one of the commonly killed fish in turbine procedures. Methods Sampling occurred every two months from February 2014 to December 2015 at the Camargos and Itutinga hydropower dams, located in the upper Paraná River basin, using hooks baited with earthworm and cow heart. We used generalized linear models to test the influence of dam, bait type, dam outflow discharge, water temperature, transparency, and dissolved oxygen on mandi abundance, calculated as catch per unit effort. Results Most mandi (73%) were caught using earthworms but catch per unit effort of mandi for both baits showed the same pattern of seasonal variation at each dam. At both dams, individuals of mandi sampled using earthworms were smaller than those sampled using cow heart, and water temperature was the only environmental variable significantly associated with the catch per unit effort of mandi. Conclusions Both baits are efficient to monitor seasonal variations in mandi abundance, which is influenced by water temperature. Monitoring the abundance of mandi in the tailrace can help minimizing fish mortality by scheduling risky turbine procedures for periods of lower mandi abundance.


2008 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 512-514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vernon E. Thatcher ◽  
Marilia C. Brasil-Sato

Ergasilus chelangulatus sp. nov. is described from the freshwater fish, Pimelodus maculatus Lacépède, 1803 (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae) of the upper São Francisco River, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The new species is based on female specimens and the male is unknown. This species has a serrate seta on exopod one and a two-segmented first endopod, as do most Amazonian species of this genus. The body is elongate and produced anteriorly. The antennae are elongate and have prominent sensilla on segments two and three. Ergasilus chelangulatus sp. nov. can be distinguished from all known species of Ergasilus by the fourth antennal segment (claw) which is bent at nearly a right angle.


2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 39-49
Author(s):  
Sabry El-Serafy ◽  
Alaa El-Haweet ◽  
Azza El-Ganiny ◽  
Alaa El-Far

Forecasting ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-55
Author(s):  
Rodgers Makwinja ◽  
Seyoum Mengistou ◽  
Emmanuel Kaunda ◽  
Tena Alemiew ◽  
Titus Bandulo Phiri ◽  
...  

Forecasting, using time series data, has become the most relevant and effective tool for fisheries stock assessment. Autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) modeling has been commonly used to predict the general trend for fish landings with increased reliability and precision. In this paper, ARIMA models were applied to predict Lake Malombe annual fish landings and catch per unit effort (CPUE). The annual fish landings and CPUE trends were first observed and both were non-stationary. The first-order differencing was applied to transform the non-stationary data into stationary. Autocorrelation functions (AC), partial autocorrelation function (PAC), Akaike information criterion (AIC), Bayesian information criterion (BIC), square root of the mean square error (RMSE), the mean absolute error (MAE), percentage standard error of prediction (SEP), average relative variance (ARV), Gaussian maximum likelihood estimation (GMLE) algorithm, efficiency coefficient (E2), coefficient of determination (R2), and persistent index (PI) were estimated, which led to the identification and construction of ARIMA models, suitable in explaining the time series and forecasting. According to the measures of forecasting accuracy, the best forecasting models for fish landings and CPUE were ARIMA (0,1,1) and ARIMA (0,1,0). These models had the lowest values AIC, BIC, RMSE, MAE, SEP, ARV. The models further displayed the highest values of GMLE, PI, R2, and E2. The “auto. arima ()” command in R version 3.6.3 further displayed ARIMA (0,1,1) and ARIMA (0,1,0) as the best. The selected models satisfactorily forecasted the fish landings of 2725.243 metric tons and CPUE of 0.097 kg/h by 2024.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geneviève Nesslage ◽  
Vyacheslav Lyubchich ◽  
Paul Nitschke ◽  
Erik Williams ◽  
Churchill Grimes ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
PEMA KHANDU ◽  
GEORGE A. GALE ◽  
SARA BUMRUNGSRI

Summary White-bellied Heron Ardea insignis (WBH) is critically endangered, but we lack data on many aspects of its basic ecology and threats to the species are not clearly understood. The goal of this study was to analyse WBH foraging microhabitat selection, foraging behaviour, and prey preferences in two river basins (Punatsangchhu and Mangdechhu) in Bhutan which are likely home to one of the largest remaining populations of WBH. We also explored the relationship between the relative abundance of the WBH and prey biomass catch per unit effort within four foraging river microhabitats (pool, pond, riffle and run). Prey species were sampled in 13 different 100-m thalweg lengths of the rivers using cast nets and electrofishing gear. Riffles and pools were the most commonly used microhabitats; relative abundance was the highest in riffles. The relative abundance of WBH and prey biomass catch per unit effort (CPUE) also showed a weak but significant positive correlation (rs = 0.22). The highest biomass CPUE was observed in riffles while the lowest was found in the ponds. From the 97 prey items caught by the WBH, 95% of the prey were fish. The WBH mainly exploited three genera of fish (Garra, Salmo, and Schizothorax) of which Schizothorax (64%) was the most frequently consumed. This study provides evidence in support of further protection of critical riverine habitat and fish resources for this heron. Regular monitoring of sand and gravel mining, curbing illegal fishing, habitat restoration/mitigation, and developing sustainable alternatives for local people should be urgently implemented by the government and other relevant agencies. Further study is also required for understanding the seasonal variation and abundance of its prey species in their prime habitats along the Punatsangchhu and Mangdechhu basins.


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