Fishtek Consulting

The team at Fishtek is made up of fisheries biologists, environmental scientists, engineers (civil, structural, electrical and hydraulic) and computer-aided design (CAD) technicians, and a small installation team, who are all able to provide bespoke and innovative design and construction solutions for marine and freshwater environments.

The team is able to design fish and eel passes for a wide range of sites, from large lowland rivers to small upland streams with flows ranging from a few litres per second to thousands of cubic metres per second. It provides full hydraulic modelling and calculations for a preferred design at a site and a complete CAD facility (including 3D solid-model engineering drawings), which is available in-house for design work, as well as the capability to produce full civil construction drawings.

The business specialises in the innovative design of all modern fish passes and fish easements, and its involvement starts at the very first stage of a project with the feasibility study and options appraisal process, whereby the preferred fish passage improvement at a site is identified. Various solutions can be considered, such as technical baffle fish passes, traditional pool and traverse passes, vertical slot passes, natural fishways/rock ramps and naturalised bypass channels and hybrid passes, among others.

Services and solutions relating to the design, fabrication and construction of eel passes are offered to improve passage and restoration of eel populations. Fishtek uses innovative approaches to improve adult eel and elver passages and is able to provide eel pass design for virtually any site, regardless of the size or location of the barrier. Passes can be gravity or ‘up and over’ pump fed, with a wide range of designs and substrate types available.

The team also provide advice to the hydropower sector on the mitigation of issues relating to fish. This includes advice on fish pass design, downstream passage facilities, determination of e-flows and multi-faceted assessments of the impact of proposed hydropower schemes on fish populations.

Its clients include the Environment Agency, NRW, The Marine Directorate, Welsh Water, Thames Water, Affinity Water, Yorkshire Water, Network Rail and South West Water and many of the rivers trusts.