Technical Notes: Evaluation of Potential Effects of Stray Voltage Generated by Alternating Current on Hatchery‐Raised Rainbow Trout

In the province of Québec, fish farmers have claimed that growth and production of fish are reduced in the presence of very low voltage levels. Stray low voltage at levels of 60 Hz (0–42 mV/m) was confirmed during a survey of nine fish hatcheries in 1990. Because there is a general lack of information on the effects of exposure to stray voltage on hatchery‐raised fish, a study was done to evaluate possible effects on the embryonic development, growth rate, and survival of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. The results indicate no effect of electrical fields (5, 50, 500, and 5,000 mV/m) on the appearance and duration of embryonic development or on survival to hatching. Other bioassays conducted on rainbow trout weighing 7 and 116 g that were exposed for 10 and 7.5 weeks, respectively, to electrical fields of 5, 50, and 500 mV/m demonstrate that growth rate and survival are probably not affected by electrical fields.