This unusual sounding activity is exactly what it says. Staff use an electrical current from a portable generator to stun the fishlife in a stretch of river.
The fish are quickly collected, counted, and identified. They soon recover and are released to swim off unharmed. In this way the Council's scientists can accurately assess a river's health in terms of its suitability as a habitat and the water quality.
Electric fishing is also used to assess the effects of in-stream structures such as dams, culverts or waterfalls (which may block fish migration either up or down stream) and fish passes (designed to allow the movement of fish over a barrier).
The fish population and species diversity is measured and compared above and below the point of interest.