Peter R Bergman, 599250 SW 61St Way APT B, Boca Raton, FL 33428

4750490, Jun 14, 1988

May 18, 1987

7/051136

Frank Haw - Olympia WA
Peter K. Bergman - Olympia WA

Northwest Marine Technology, Inc. - Shaw Island WA

A61B 1700

128330

In the identification of fish, tags having on at least one side visually detectable markings encoding information pertaining to a fish are shallowly implanted within transparent or semi-transparent tissues of respective specimens. Upon release and subsequent capture of the fish specimens, the locations of the tags are optically determined by a visual inspection of the fish. The information is retrieved from the tags by either reading the information from the implanted tags through the transparent or semi-transparent tissue or excising the tags and thereupon reading the information. In either case, the specimens are not significantly harmed or injured by virtue of the implantation and reading operations. The implanted tags also have a minimum effect on survival and other biological traits and behavior.

5816196, 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.