Video counting equipment for fishways

Hizkia is an IT services company that was founded almost 25 years ago. Our experience in computer and video applications for hydrobiology began with INRA (French national institute for agronomic research) more than 10 years ago.

Vidéo direct live de la passe à poisson de l’Écluse du Marais Pin

Écluse du Marais Pin sur la Sèvre Niortaise
Parc Naturel Régional du Marais Poitevin

Hizkia provides services covering pre-implementation studies, installation, training and user support.

Evaluating fishway efficiency, Monitoring movements of migrating fish

Hizkia designs all its products: hardware and software. It does software development and the installation and maintenance of equipment. Hizkia also has 25 years’ experience in industrial service. This ensures that its solutions are adaptable, and can evolve. It also guarantees rapid assistance and maintenance in case of malfunction.

HIZKIA’S TURNKEY VIDEO-COUNTING SOLUTIONS

4 types of image acquisition system:

• — 3 immersed systems : modular panels, caissons, removable video-counting chamber
• —Equipment for classic dedicated underground rooms

A powerful software package for acquisition, processing and counting of films, compatible with all systems.

Our own software has been in use on all of these systems for over 10 years during which it has undergone continual evolution based on our experience.

Sites equiped by Hizkia

• Modular panels: castets fishlift on the Ossau, Rampe Rouge hydro-electric power station on the Eyrieux, fish entrance of the Châteauponsac dam on the Gartempe
• Removable video-counting chamber: Huttenheim on the Ill
• Standalone Camera: Livron on the Drôme
• Experimental monitoring in natural or artificial environments: Lapitxuri at Dantxaria, fluvarium and chronotrons at INRA in Saint-Pee-sur-Nivelle, chronotrons at Cemagref in Saint-Seurin and UMR Physiologie de la Reproduction et des comportements at INRA Nouzilly

Hardware

The different models of caissons are made at a partner workshop located 5 km from our premises.

Built of composite materials (PVC, PMMA, metacrylate, glass, aluminium) and kept watertight by sealing gaskets and screw-type clamps, they are waterproof, shock resistant and long-lasting.

We use the latest models of industrial cameras:

• GigaEthernet Connection, which allows a distance between the cameras and the acquisition PC installation of up to 100 m by cable as well as by fibre optic connection;
• All sensitivity and resolution ranges (up to 1280 x 2048 pixels);
• Camera models sensitive to infrared, colour option.

Lighting is built based on LEDs:

• Low power consumption
• 12 or 24V DC power supply
• Balanced light source distribution
• Long life

BENEFITS

• Minimal changes to civil engineering structures
• Performances
• Low installation and maintenance costs
• Simplified maintenance (cleaning, repairs…)
• Opportunity to reuse the same system at several sites
• Direct lighting: better image quality than with backlighting alone, enabling a detailed view of the surfaces of the fish

SELECTION GUIDE

• Small fishways, chutes, temporary installations for data acquisition: Modular pannelsmodular panels
• Fishways, water height from 1m to 2m: removable video-counting chamber
• Fishways where it is not possible or desirable to install a removable system (insufficient space, water depth >2m), and/or when cleaning is a problem (high algal development, cofferdam constraints or insufficient staff): Caissons
• Viewing room already exists or is wanted for other reasons: camera (s) and backlight panel