Within the RETERO research project, intensive cooperation has developed with the Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) and the Estonian University for Life Sciences (EMÜ). In November and December 2022, we used the excellent conditions at EMÜ’s FishLab at Võrtsjärv, Estonia’s second largest lake, to test the influence of the new with TalTech developed generation of backpack sensors on the health status of perch. In addition to monitoring the general health status and checking for injuries, we focused on the stress to which the animals are exposed when applying the new method. Together with Professor Arvo Tuvikene, we analysed the stress hormone dynamic in the blood of the fish while wearing the sensors and afterwards. The first results are promising.
