Vancouver, Washington – June 01, 2007 – Smith-Root, Incorporated (SRI) has developed a non-lethal electric barrier to deter seal and sea lion predation on Pacific Northwest salmon, steelhead and sturgeon.

“This system was tested in British Columbia, Canada, during March and April of 2007. It deterred seals from preying on salmon juveniles in the Puntledge River in Courtenay, B.C., and it prevented seals from moving upstream to favorite feeding areas,” according to Jeff Smith, the company’s CEO. Results showed that marine mammals are extremely sensitive to an underwater electric field, at levels far below those at which fish could be injured. “The levels of direct current (DC) we used in the British Columbia tests are 15-30 orders of magnitude lower than those capable of causing injury to fish, based on published studies in the literature,” added Carl Burger, the company’s senior scientist.