A future for the Eel maybe

[sidebyside 0]

I watched this video, maybe there will be a future for Eels if restocking in the UK can be sorted.

http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/earthrise/2012/07/2012727111043648244.html

[tegater 789]

I watched this video, maybe there will be a future for Eels if restocking in the UK can be sorted.

http://www.aljazeera...1043648244.html

There was a cracking programme on radio 4 a few weeks ago, all about the same problems the eels have. The one interesting point the scientists made though if I remember correctly, is that it would be disastrous for the eels, if fishermen stopped fishing for them.

[billybaltic 308]

This come's out in the autumn, going to be an interesting read.

[ratattack 111]

Until the gulfstream moves back from it's current position there will be low numbers for a long time to come. Elvers follow the gulfstream back from the sargasso sea, unfortunatley they are ending up in mainland europe instead of the UK. Restocking will simply provide more elvers for mainland europe.

[events co-ordinator 353]

In Scotland it is ilegal to fish for freswater eels (EU) regulations BUT they still issue licences to fish for Elvers in England and Ireland havea huge eel fishery AM I MISSING SOMETHING

Edited August 1, 2012 by events co-ordinator

[Tallyho 181]

i know that bloke in the elver station, have been in there a few nights have spoke to him about my daughters school getting involved in a release programe for next year they are more than willing to help local schools to get involved. any thing to help any migratory fish is good .

[comanche 2,942]

All the time elver fishing was a fairly local trade the eel population was'nt in any danger but nowadays the take of elvers is on an industrial scale . There is a market for English elvers not just on the continent but as far away as Japan . They use our eels to stock their stew ponds . The Seine boasted a very high tech elver fleet with boats costing hundreds of thousands of pounds .

I know there are other factors possibly involved in the decline but surely the reason that eels produce such vast numbers of offspring is that it is essential to the species' survival.

Even if sufficient elvers manage to evade capture ,reach maturity and successfully breed the gene pool must be severly reduced which spells disaster for any species .

The fact that elvers are in increasingly short supply ,instead of ringing alarm bells simply adds to their value and encourages a black-market in their trade.

The angler who takes the odd one for the table or the guys plying a local trade are pretty insignificant factors when compared with the greedy and short-sighted antics of the big and often shadowy commercial giants involved .

["Earth!" 503]

Until the gulfstream moves back from it's current position there will be low numbers for a long time to come. Elvers follow the gulfstream back from the sargasso sea, unfortunatley they are ending up in mainland europe instead of the UK. Restocking will simply provide more elvers for mainland europe.

 

Do you fish for eels ratattack?

[ratattack 111]

Not currently, the gravel pits i fish these days don't have any that i'm aware of. The rivers may do but havn't been on them since joining the club i'm in. Fished for them in Scotland a long time ago. A Fantastic fish to catch when a good few pounds in weight. Not so keen on the snotties tho!

[ferret features 289]

over here in ireland theres loads must come out of lough neagh

[MUDD 374]

over here in ireland theres loads must come out of lough neagh

Nowhere near as many as before ff. I fish the lough regularly also the river blackwater, Lagan and bann and they have been on the decline this past few years.

Edited August 2, 2012 by MUDD

[MUDD 374]

I thought this was the main problem resulting in the decline off eel.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anguillicoloides_crassus