Tagging Salmon

We went to the fish ladders at the Ballard Locks on Tuesday to watch the salmon run.

The ladder provides a series of shallow steps that the fish can maneuver, swimming always against the direction of the flow of water, to get upstream to their spawning grounds.

Benjie is watching the fish, some of which are being diverted up from the main portion of the ladder. We were curious as to what was going on with these fish. 

We wondered what was going on up above where these men with nets seemed to be after the diverted fish.





The fish didn't necessarily want to cooperate with the netters.

But they did magage to capture them nonetheless.


So now what?

The netted fish was transferred into a tub of water, where he was wrestled into what can only be called a fish body bag. Well, the workers probably have a better name for it.

The black bag calmed the fish somewhat--not much...

...but enough to make it possible to pass the catch up to the next group of workers.

...who measured it... 

 

...tagged it...

...and turned it loose in the open waters leading into Lake Union.

On Thursdays I used to do posts about workers. I think I will try to resume doing that, as I do think I need to get back to more regular blogging.