Displaying items by tag: region 4 reservoirs fisheries biologist

Bart Carter retired after a 30-year career at TWRA. He is credited with improving backpack electrofishing equipment commonly used by conservationists around the country. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

Electrofishing innovator retires after 30 years of service with TWRA

MORRISTOWN — Bart Carter, Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency Region 4 Fisheries Program Manager, has retired after three decades of service to the state’s wildlife resources. 

During his 33-year career, his work included improving hatcheries, enhancing fish habitat, restoring streams to native fish fauna, helping discover new species, adding public access areas, and mentoring employees.   

One of his most significant developments during his career was designing and building new backpack electrofishing equipment.

“Electrofishing can be an effective tool for fish community sampling, fish relocation, invasive species eradication, (and) sampling fish tissue contaminants,” said Mark O’Neal, director of ETS Electrofishing systems, LLC in Madison, Wisconsin.

“The tools they use just stun fish and doesn’t kill them. It stuns them out and then they can weigh them and put a tag on them, without having to using a pole with a hook or a net,” O’Neal said.

“It puts out a high DC voltage pulse. On a boat system you have to use a larger pulse. More DC power to drive a current in the water. When the fish experience a DC current they go to the anoid,” O’Neal said.