What Fish Guidance Systems does

Fish Guidance Systems (FGS) is a UK-based specialist engineering company founded in 1994 in Fareham, Hampshire, that designs, manufactures and installs non-physical, behavioral fish deterrence and guidance systems for industrial and environmental infrastructure. The company's portfolio spans three core technology families — acoustic (SPA Sound Projector Array, HFA High Frequency Acoustic), light-based (HIL High Intensity Light), and pneumatic bubble curtains (BAFF BioAcoustic Fish Fence) — combined into hybrid configurations such as SILAS (Synchronised Intense Light and Sound). Each system is tailored to target species using the proprietary PrISM acoustic modelling software and species-specific audiogram data, creating invisible sensory barriers that encourage fish to alter their behavior without physical contact and without blocking waterway navigation. Over 30+ years FGS has completed more than 150 global installations, including 100+ SPA systems, in environments ranging from nuclear and thermal power stations to hydroelectric dams, migratory fish corridors, and invasive species barriers.

The company serves power generation utilities (nuclear, thermal, hydroelectric), government environmental and water management agencies, and construction/infrastructure contractors across Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific. Reference deployments include the Doel Nuclear Power Station (Belgium, operating nearly 30 years), EDF's Hinkley Point C nuclear program, ESB hydroelectric sites in Ireland, US Bureau of Reclamation and California Department of Water Resources salmon projects on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the Illinois Natural History Survey invasive carp trials, and UK infrastructure operators such as Pembroke Power Station and Donna Nook Pumping Station.

FGS generates revenue through four streams: (1) custom system design, manufacturing and installation on a one-time/perpetual license basis, with major projects priced in the multi-million range and 6-12 month development cycles; (2) leased systems for temporary or rapid deployments on a subscription basis; (3) ongoing maintenance, commissioning and managed monitoring services; and (4) expert consultancy covering site assessment, species analysis, and environmental compliance. Sales are conducted through direct enterprise field engagement with utilities and government agencies, supplemented by international channel agents in Australia (Saltwater Environmental Engineering) and China (Tianjin Dyne Ocean Engineering Corporation). The firm is privately held, led by Managing Director Dr David Lambert, and holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and UVDB certifications.

Name

Fish Guidance Systems

Legal name

Fish Guidance Systems Ltd

Website

https://fgs.world

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fish Guidance Systems designs and installs non-physical, behavioral acoustic, light-based, and pneumatic fish deterrence and guidance systems for power utilities, government environmental agencies, and infrastructure operators across Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific, with over 150 installations worldwide since 1994.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Fareham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom System Design and Installation: FGS designs, manufactures and installs bespoke behavioral fish guidance and deterrence systems. Each solution is tailored to the client's species, site conditions, intake geometry, regulation requirements, and operational priorities. The company handles the full project lifecycle from consultation through commissioning.
2. Leased Systems: FGS offers leased systems for temporary or rapid deployment needs. These can be set up within a few weeks and are ideal for construction projects, short-term mitigation requirements, or urgent deployment situations. Provides flexibility for clients who do not require permanent installations.
3. Maintenance and Support Services: Ongoing maintenance contracts ensure long-term system performance. FGS provides commissioning, maintenance and monitoring services for installed systems, including diagnostic support and regulatory compliance reporting.
4. Consultancy Services: Expert consultancy services covering site assessment, species analysis, environmental compliance, and solution recommendation. FGS provides end-to-end capability including project management and quality control.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Fish Guidance Systems designs, manufactures, and installs non-physical, behavioral fish guidance and deterrence systems for industrial water intakes, hydropower turbines, and pumping stations. Its products use combinations of acoustic, light, and pneumatic stimuli to deter or redirect fish away from intakes without physical screens, and are sold alongside associated consultancy, installation, and maintenance services.

Product overview

Fish Guidance Systems offers a portfolio of non-physical, behavioural fish guidance and deterrence systems built around three core technology families: acoustic (SPA, HFA), light-based (HIL), and pneumatic (BAFF bubble curtains), combined into hybrid configurations (SILAS). The systems are organized into application categories—Deterrence for protecting infrastructure from fish entrainment, Guidance for steering migratory species along safe routes, and Temporary for mobile deployments during construction projects. Each system is tailored to specific species using acoustic modelling (PrISM software), audiogram data, and site-specific engineering to create sensory barriers that encourage fish to move away without physical contact.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SPA (Submerged Pump Array / behavioral deterrent system) Named behavioral fish guidance/deterrent system in the FGS product line, deployed at industrial water intakes and pumping stations to deter or redirect fish using acoustic, light, and/or pneumatic stimuli.
• HFA (Hydroacoustic Fish deterrent / Array) Named behavioral fish guidance/deterrent system in the FGS product line, using hydroacoustic stimuli to deter fish from water intakes and turbine abstractions.
• BAFF (Behavioral Acoustic Fish Fence / deterrent) Named behavioral fish guidance/deterrent system in the FGS product line, designed to create a non-physical deterrent barrier at water intakes using acoustic and/or complementary stimuli.
• SILAS (Surface Illumination / Light-based deterrent system) Named behavioral fish guidance/deterrent system in the FGS product line, using light stimuli to deter or redirect fish at intakes and abstractions.
• HIL (Hydroacoustic Light / Integrated deterrent system) Named behavioral fish guidance/deterrent system in the FGS product line, combining acoustic and/or light stimuli to deter fish from intakes, turbines, and pumping stations.
• Fish guidance consultancy, installation, and maintenance services Professional services provided alongside FGS deterrent products, including site surveys, system design, installation, commissioning, and ongoing maintenance for utilities, power stations, and other water abstractors.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% Bighead carp deflection at Quiver Creek
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, minor and regional.

• AFD Delivery GroupstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024Expert consortium consisting of technology, project management, consultancy and environmental sector specialists. Produced technical report addressing EDF's concerns about the AFD at Hinkley Point C, providing a viable delivery path that meets all safety, operational and environmental requirements.
• Swansea UniversitystrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2023Working with Swansea University and Welsh Government on the Tidal Lagoon Challenge project. FGS will develop and refine acoustic fish deterrent systems for tidal energy deployment, with Swansea University evaluating effectiveness. Project aims to protect Atlantic salmon, sea trout and twaite shad through fish tagging and migration studies. Part of £750,000 funding announced by Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford.
• Leuven UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997Researchers from Leuven University independently verified the AFD system at Doel Nuclear Power Station, recording strong deflection across key species and confirming the effectiveness of the acoustic tuning approach.
• Saltwater Environmental Engineering Pty LtdregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational agent representing FGS in Australia. Located at 237 Saltwater Promenade, Point Cook Vic 3030, Australia. Main contact: Tom Huane (+61 (0)3 8353 9661). Handles local sales and project support for Australian fish guidance and deterrence projects.
• Tianjin Dyne Ocean Engineering Corporation LtdregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational agent representing FGS in China. Located in Beijing, China. Main contact: Cao Shouling. Handles local sales and project support for Chinese fish guidance and deterrence projects.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hydrolox: Hydrolox manufactures fish exclusion and guidance devices, primarily physical screen and barrier systems for water intakes. It competes with FGS in the same customer segment (power stations, pumping stations, irrigation intakes) but with the alternative technology approach (physical screening) that FGS's non-physical systems are designed to replace or complement.
• Smith-Root: Smith-Root designs and manufactures electrofishing equipment and electrical fish barriers (most notably the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal barrier for invasive carp control). It is the most directly comparable peer to FGS — both sell behavioural/non-physical fish deterrence systems to utilities, governments, and environmental agencies, with overlapping application in invasive-species containment at industrial waterways.

Emerging players

• FishPass: FishPass is a research-to-application centre (formerly at the Great Lakes Fishery Commission / University of Michigan) focused on developing next-generation fish-sorting and guidance technologies at locks and dams. It targets the same behavioural fish-passage problem as FGS but primarily as a research consortium rather than a commercial vendor, representing both a peer and a potential R&D partner.

Broad incumbents

• R2 Resource Consultants: R2 Resource Consultants is an environmental and fisheries consulting firm serving the western US, with deep experience in hydropower, water diversions, and salmonid protection — directly overlapping FGS's California Delta salmon-smolt guidance work (Georgiana Slough, Head of Old River) and acting as a complementary or competing service provider.
• Kleinschmidt Group: Kleinschmidt is an engineering and environmental consulting firm specializing in hydropower licensing, fish passage, and regulatory compliance. It addresses the same end-customers (hydropower operators, utilities, regulators) and often specifies fish-deterrence technologies — making it both a competitor in the project advisory space and a potential channel/influencer for FGS system sales.
• Alden Research Laboratory: Alden Research Laboratory provides hydraulic, hydrologic, and environmental engineering services for water infrastructure, including fish-passage and intake-protection studies. It competes with FGS in the environmental/engineering services layer for power and water utilities, but does not sell behavioural deterrent hardware.
• Normandeau Associates: Normandeau is an established environmental and biological consulting firm serving utilities and government agencies on fish protection, hydropower licensing, and environmental compliance. It overlaps with FGS in fish-entrainment studies and intake-protection work for power generation, but operates as a consultancy rather than a technology provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FishGuidance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fish-guidance-systems-limited

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fish Guidance Systems