James Alan Webster

58161961, Oct 6, 1998

Mar 29, 1996

8/627763

James Lucian Webster - Olympia WA
Peter Kenneth Bergman - Olympia WA

Northwest Marine Technology, Inc. - Shaw Island WA

A01K 6100

119228

A device and method for volitionally orienting fish relies upon the instinctive reactions of fish in order to ensure that when the fish exit a containing vessel, they do so with a uniform anatomical orientation, such as head-first, dorsal-side-up. The containing vessel is partially filled with water and has at least one exit. A flow of water is generated away from the exit of the vessel, causing any fish that are introduced into the vessel to orient themselves head-first into the direction of the flow. In addition, an environment within the water of the vessel may be created that is disturbing to the fish, thereby causing the fish to want to exit the vessel. In order for the fish to exit the vessel, they must actively swim toward and through the exit opening. After the fish exit the vessel, they may then be subjected to any number of fish handling operations--such as automated vaccinating, tagging/marking, sorting, and/or counting--where it may be beneficial to have fish delivered to a given location at a high rate of speed and with a uniform orientation.