Design Concepts and Developments in Behavioural Fish Guidance

Non-physical barriers (NPBs) based on behavioral fish guidance use one or more stimuli to control the movements of fish according to a prescribed plan. Designing an effective NPB requires a thorough understanding of the behaviors elicited by the stimuli, effects thresholds, optimal stimulus characteristics and their interaction with features of the surrounding aquatic environment. These areas of knowledge come together within the field of bioengineering, a discipline which has made considerable advances since the days of “throw it in and see what happens”. The paper reviews the principles of behavioural guidance and the key areas of biological and engineering investigation that must underpin any successful NPB design. Examples are taken from the author’s personal experience over more than 30 years’ of working on NPB projects around the world.