by Laura Geggel, Staff Writer | November 13, 2014 02:00pm ET
The long tube wiggled and then violently wobbled, shaking as a salmon came blasting out the end and belly-flopped into the water.
Still in its pilot phase, the cannon-type device, "o'fish'ally" known as the Whooshh Transport Conduit, can zip fish between 16 and 33 feet per second (5 and 10 meters per second) above obstacles, such as dams, and toward their destination.
The device is designed to help salmon reach their spawning grounds, but late-night talk-show host and comedian John Oliver launched the so-called salmon cannon into the spotlight by giving his audience a preview of how it works, and pretending to use it to launch fake salmon at A-list celebrities, including Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon and Anderson Cooper.
But all jokes aside, the salmon cannon could play an important role in helping fish journey upstream. The tube's speed and flexibility may provide a more affordable and sustainable solution than other manmade waterways around dams that are currently used by migrating fish, said Vince Bryan III, CEO of Whooshh Innovations, based in Bellevue, Washington, and the creator of the salmon cannon.
No comments:
Post a Comment
You only need to enter your comment once! Comments will appear once they have been moderated. This is so as to stop the would-be comedian who has been spamming the comments here with inane and often offensive remarks. You know who you are!