New technology revolutionises field work
From counting trout spawning in Fiordland, to monitoring duck numbers in Nelson, Fish & Game is using new drone technology to transform its field work.
It is not only the reduction in cost, or ease of flying the drones (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, or UAV) which is appealing to the non-profit organisation, but the safety and accuracy they provide.
Pictured: Drone operator Adam Butcher retrieves drone.
The video and still images captured from the aerial perspective enables more accurate numbers to be taken.
“A field officer can focus on the imagery back in the office, rather than trying to jot down figures while flying in a helicopter, or buzzing along the river in a jet boat,” says Andrew Currie, Fish & Game’s South Island Communications Advisor.
“This coupled with the new Health & Safety legislation before parliament, having our staff spending more time on the ground rather than in the air for long periods is also an obvious advantage,” he adds.
Te Anau based drone pilot Adam Butcher, cannot believe how close to the trout he can manoeuvre his craft.
“It’s an incredible tool for this sort of work; the low noise doesn’t disturb the fish life, so we can get to within a few feet of the trout.”
“We’ve flown the drone right over top of the trout and though we can see the ripples from the propeller’s downwash on the water, it appears that for the most part it doesn’t bother them.”
Ahead of the recent gamebird season, Nelson’s Cawthron Institute undertook test flights on behalf of Fish & Game to assess mallard numbers and salmon spawning locations, with surprising results.
Nelson-based senior field officer, Lawson Davey, who oversaw the Cawthron flights, believes being able to programme the UAVs to fly the same transects over and over, “will mean our figures are more robust, enabling better management of the gamebird and sports fish resource.”
Mr Davey also suggests that Fish & Game will be able to carry out more monitoring due to the relative cost – compared to chartering helicopters and fixed wing craft – but for his region being able to accurately count birds in waterbodies, with dense vegetation and cover, is a huge advantage.
“We have been very impressed by how tolerant the birds are and how close the drone can get without spooking the birds off the water.”
More tests are planned in several Fish & Game regions over the coming months, and with some operators now offering infrared and 4k imaging capabilities, Mr Davey believes “the future of using drones in our monitoring and other aspects of our field work is looking very encouraging.”
To view video of the surveys, please click the following links. Raw files are available on request.
Categories
Archive
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- December 2013
- March 2013
- September 2012
- July 2012