Novel Method to Eradicate Invasive Fish from Lakes

 

Background

  • Many small bodies of water in the United States are plagued with invasive species of fish, such as Wyoming's Yellowstone Lake.  Here an infestation of lake trout was discovered in 1992, posing a significant threat to the lake's native cutthroat trout.

  • Fish managers sometimes use poisons, such as rotenone, to kill off invasive species.  However, poisoning has the unwelcome effect of destroying not only the undesirable species, but the entire fish population.

  • Clearly, a technology that would target only a lake's unwanted fish would be a welcome advance.

 

Proposal

To employ the current technology of small radio controlled submarines, and adding to it a system of miniature video cameras with optically aligned sights, integrated with lethal darts. The submarine operator would target invasive species of fish remotely, via video screen, with a trigger mechanism to fire the lethal darts.  As is the case with pneumatic spearguns, currently in use in the sport of spearfishing, the darts could be propelled by compressed gas.  Unwanted fish could easily be targeted when they are in clear, shallow water, such as during breeding season.

 

Targeting Invasive Fish

 

Examples of Radio Controlled Submarines

To see miniature radio controlled submarines in action, click either of the two icons below:






Delta Submarine

 

 

Delta - Targeting Invasive Fish

The Casino Management Handbook

Links

Radio Controlled Submarines

Robot Fish to Detect Ocean Pollution

New Legoland Ideas