Using the Salmo-3000 nest incubator for salmonid fish reproducing in the Arctic Moncha River (Kola Peninsula)

This study examines the use of a Salmo-3000 artificial nest incubator in brown trout reproduction technology. The pilot batch consisted of ten fully loaded devices. The testing was conducted in the Moncha River (White Sea basin). The reproduction technology involves catching mature female brown trout immediately before they spawn. The fish are held in cages until they are ready to spawn. Then, the eggs are obtained and transported to the plot where the proprietary Salmo-3000 nest incubators are installed. The devices are placed in the ground and the incubation process begins. After eight months, the nest incubators are removed, and a final evaluation is conducted to determine the effectiveness of the technology and the performance of the devices. The Salmo-3000 nest incubator allows for the incubation of fertilized brown trout eggs throughout the fall, winter, and spring, with a minimum operational life of eight months, and for the production of viable larvae in the summer (June), which either disperse independently into the river rapids or are manually removed from the devices for rearing in tanks. The test revealed an increased capacity for incubating eggs (up to 3,000 trout eggs per unit); an efficient water distributor; grids that prevent eggs from being washed away during loading; non-oxidizing fastening rods made of fiberglass reinforcement; a water intake/filter that effectively cleans and supplies water to the eggs. However, installing the device is complex and time-consuming, taking up to 30 minutes. The overall hatching efficiency of the larvae was 68–74 % at full capacity. Juvenile fish release into the river was 68–74 %. With some modifications, the device can be used to restore the population of trout (Salmo trutta L.) in Arctic rivers with complex hydrological regimes, where hatchery production is economically unfeasible for various reasons.

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