Ensol’s solar/fuel cell hybrid system powers remote fish counting technology for the Tlowitsis First Nation.
The Tlowitsis are a British Columbia First Nation of about 450 registered citizens. Their traditional territories span the coastal area of northern Vancouver Island, Johnstone Strait and adjacent mainland inlets. The Tlowitsis occupied numerous sites throughout these lands. Most of their citizens live in communities on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland.
The implementation of a fish counting fence to gain insight into the sockeye salmon population is part of a larger project aimed to reacquaint the Tlowitsis Nation with a part of their Traditional territory of Port Neville and the Fulmore Area.
Learn more about the Tlowitsis First Nation: www.tlowitsisnation.ca
The fish counting fence utilized a camera, lights, and a computer to run the software and record the video. Reliability and power balance were key as this site is very remote and would need to operate for 7 – 10 days at a time without being visited or monitored. The Ensol team worked with theTlowitsis First Nation to develop a power solution that would meet the exact needs. The fence was operational for 86 days from the middle of May to the middle of August and operated seamlessly with no maintenance or troubleshooting of the power component required.
From the operation of the fence, the Nation gained invaluable information about the Sockeye salmon population that exists in the FulmoreWatershed. This information will be utilized in the future for the Tlowitsis to inform management, utilization and conservation decisions of this resource.
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“The Ensol power system was a key component that resulted in the successful running of the first year of this program. The Tlowitsis are excited to continue to run the fence for years to come.” – Tlowitsis Council
