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· They use radio telemetry chips and other technologies
• Marking is carried out on individuals of bocachico and striped catfish. In total, 6,000 fish will be marked in the Middle and Lower basin of the Cauca River.
• These actions seek to conserve the species of the fishing resource, within the environmental initiatives of the Hidroituango power plant.
• Hidroituango celebrated Environmental Week in 16 municipalities in its area of interest
EPM and the University of Córdoba implemented an innovative technology that seeks to contribute to the conservation and management of the fishing resource in the Cauca River – within the Environmental Management Plan of the Ituango Hydroelectric Project -, which consists of the marking of 120 individuals – 60 bocachicos and 60 striped catfish – with radio telemetry chips and 6,000 fish with Lea-type hydrostatic tags.
This initiative will make it possible to establish, with greater precision, the migratory routes of the species, which will facilitate the implementation of more effective conservation measures, aimed at mitigating the possible impacts caused by human activities.
This is how radio telemetry chips work
The radiometry methodology consists of introducing an intra-abdominal chip into the fish, in a minor intervention carried out under the full care of a veterinarian, a specialist in small animal surgery. The procedure lasts approximately twenty minutes. After the procedure, the individual is returned to a recovery pool.
The chip is a closed glass cylinder, which contains button-type batteries and the electronic mechanisms that send radio impulses that are detected by receiving equipment. This technology allows us to know, in real time, the movement of the fish. To implement this methodology, fish will be marked in 14 sites, mainly in swampy complexes in the Middle and Lower basin of the Cauca River, from the district of Bolombolo, in the Antioquia municipality of Venecia, to the municipality of Pinillos. , in the department of Bolívar.
This exercise will allow identifying possible changes in the spawning areas and migratory routes of the main species of rheophilic fish in the Lower and Middle basin of the Cauca River.
The other strategy implemented is hydrostatic tags, which are placed on the anterior part of the dorsal fin of each fish through the use of needles and surgical thread. This traditional marking is carried out in order to identify them with a code and a telephone number that allows the recovery of the fish, when it is caught by fishermen. Taged fish must be released the same day they are caught.
Other environmental actions that add to the territory
As part of the environmental management actions in the 16 municipalities of the Hidroituango area of interest (Ituango, Yarumal, Briceño, Toledo, Valdivia, San Andrés de Cuerquia, Buriticá, Liborina, Olaya, Sabanalarga, Peque, Santa Fe de Antioquia, Tarazá , Cáceres, Caucasia and Nechí), EPM concludes Environmental Week, which this year took place between June 15 and June 21, with the concept “Fácil Se-Pa-Ra”, a campaign that seeks to raise awareness among communities about the correct separation and disposal of solid waste, a shared purpose, led by EPM and Emvarias, a subsidiary of the EPM Group.
The agenda, which had educational, recreational and healthy recreation activities, included the participation of municipal administrations, cultural houses, environmental groups, communities and the EPM Foundation.
In summary:
Since 2019, EPM has been working hand in hand with the University of Córdoba in the fish tagging process to understand the movements of migratory species in order to design conservation strategies. These actions are part of the fish and fishing resource management program within the Environmental Management Plan of the Ituango Hydroelectric Project.
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– Radio telemetry: it is the remote measurement of animal movements.
– Rheophilic fish: they are fish that migrate or move in rivers.
