Fisheries

Aquality offers comprehensive fisheries services to meet the needs of our clients. Our team can design and implement fisheries programs in a diversity of markets, including oil and gas, transportation, electrical transmission and distribution, non-government organizations, and municipalities. Our projects range in complexity from fish capture and release services and environmental permitting to research and environmental impact assessments.

Qualified Aquatic Environmental Specialist (QAES) services are provided under the various Alberta Water Act Codes of Practice (e.g., watercourse crossings, pipelines and telecommunications, outfall structures) and the Federal and Provincial Fisheries Acts.

Some of the fisheries services we offer include:

• Design and implementation of fisheries programs

  • Fish sampling (backpack electrofishing, minnow trapping, seining, gill netting, kick netting, substrate sampling)

  • Aquatic habitat assessments (watercourses, lakes, and wetlands)

• Fish capture and release programs

• Working with clients to avoid the harmful alteration, disruption or destruction (HADD) to fish and fish habitat

• Developing offsetting (compensation) plans where HADD cannot be avoided

• Applying for sampling permits and other regulatory approvals

• Velocity measurement and discharge calculations

• Sampling for invasive species

• Sampling for aquatic invertebrates

• Conducting environmental impact assessments

• Aquatic food web studies

• Toxicity studies

• Literature reviews and database research

• Data synthesis and report preparation

• Construction and water quality monitoring

Aquality is a strong proponent of the “Clean, Drain, and Dry” campaign, and maintains rigorous decontamination protocols to avoid the spread of invasive species. Whether it’s our waders, backpack electrofisher, or our boat, our equipment is decontaminated using these protocols.