Drones, and salmon: What new technology could mean for Bristol Bay sockeye counts

Drones, and salmon: What new technology could mean for Bristol Bay sockeye counts focuses on efforts to improve Bristol Bay sockeye escapement estimates using automated drone technology. At the Wood River in Alaska, project lead Norm Van Vactor described a grey, self-contained device that opens at 8:30 a.m. and releases a drone on an automated route to capture riverbed images from an observation point. The footage is intended for a computer model to generate more accurate escapement counts, addressing limitations of decades-old methods where crews hand-count fish from counting towers. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has used counting towers for over 70 years, with nine tower sites contributing most Bay-wide counts; tower crews conduct 24-hour rotations and count salmon in 10-minute intervals using hand clickers. The project is supported by partners including the University of Washington’s Fisheries Research Institute, plus Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association and Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation. Van Vactor noted recent technology advances, including drone systems, machine learning/AI, Starlink Mini, lithium batteries, and solar panels.