The Sunshine Coast Regional Council commissioned FISHOLOGY to undertake an emergency fish rescue in Nelson Lake. After a prolonged dry period in late 2016, the water level of Nelson Lake at Alexandria headlands on the Sunshine Coast was very low, and fish were starting to perish. An emergency fish rescue was undertaken, and fish were safely moved to an upstream pool. During the fish rescue over 7000 fish were moved over a six day period. Due to the low water levels and abundant vegetation fyke nets and cast nets were used to remove fish. 

Kris Pitman was contracted by Future Plus Environmental to undertake an ambitious lake dewatering project, on a Shadforths development site, located north of Brisbane. The water body was a previously excavated 800m long canal development that filled with water. During the project, the canal was separated into three water bodies and pumped out using several large 6-inch pumps. Over 9,000 large bodied fish were captured during the project with large (80m) and medium (40m) seine nets. A fish transport trailer providing clean, aerated water was used to relocate fish to the release site.

Kris Pitman was contacted to undertake several fish salvage operations below Seqwater managed weirs and dams. The areas below weirs and dams need to be dewatered for inspections and repair works. Fish salvages were undertaken at Bromelton Weir, Ewen Maddock Dam, North Pine Dam and below Wivenhoe Dam. A variety of techniques were used to catch and remove fish including seine netting, back pack electrofishing and below Ewen Maddock Dam a crane was used to lift an electrofishing boat into the spillway pool.