US cities deploy fish to ward off terrorists

Intelligent Automation Corp. says its "IAC 1090 Intelligent Aquatic BioMonitoring System" has already been bought by New York and San Francisco city authorities to monitor water supplies to their populations.

It works by diverting water samples from a river or reservoir through a small aquarium containing eight Bluegill fish, which patrol round the clock for potentially lethal water-borne dangers.

The system, developed in partnership with US Army scientists at Fort Detrick in Maryland, is about the size of a large suitcase and can be set up on a table.

Fears of potential terror attacks against critical US infrastructure, including water supplies, have risen since the September 11, 2001 attacks, spawning a boom for the US security industry.

Animals have long been used in times of conflict. The US Navy trains dolphins to detect sea mines and help divers underwater. But records show few if any instances where fish have been deployed to the front lines of defence.

The small, brownish-coloured Bluegills, or "Lepomis macrochirus", are not demanding security guards, but IAC vice president Bill Lawler says the tiny sentinels are still well looked after when they are on duty.

"The idea is to keep the fish very happy. They're enclosed in the aquarium with a light on inside and the temperature of the water is controlled so it's always constant," Lawler told AFP by telephone from IAC's headquarters in Poway, California.