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The secret life of the slippery eel The secret life of the slippery eel
(2 days later)
Last Monday, an hour after sunset on the Taunton Road in Bridgwater, a cluster of white vans gathered behind the BMW garage. Beside them, a small crowd of fishermen laden with plastic buckets and wooden trays of baby glass eels stood waiting for the night's haul to be weighed. The eels slithered and roiled. High tide and a full moon had brought an extraordinary number to these shores. And on the banks of the River Perrett and the Severn, fishermen and conservationists assembled with the aim of catching a million of the creatures in a single night and – since their migratory route had been blocked by dams, weirs and flood defences – redistributing them further along the river. Last Monday, an hour after sunset on the Taunton Road in Bridgwater, a cluster of white vans gathered behind the BMW garage. Beside them, a small crowd of fishermen laden with plastic buckets and wooden trays of baby glass eels stood waiting for the night's haul to be weighed. The eels slithered and roiled. High tide and a full moon had brought an extraordinary number to these shores. And on the banks of the River Parrett and the Severn, fishermen and conservationists assembled with the aim of catching a million of the creatures in a single night and – since their migratory route had been blocked by dams, weirs and flood defences – redistributing them further along the river.
The first ever eel conference was held here in 2009. It had been a hard year for eels; numbers had dwindled starkly. Over the past 200 years, we have drained and destroyed 80% of our wetlands, while 25,000 hydropower stations and tens of thousands of unscreened waterpumps across Europe threatened the species further. Early the following year, the Sustainable Eel Group (SEG) was established, and a regulation introduced, requiring each country to devise an eel-protection plan. "In Britain," says Andrew Kerr, chairman of SEG, "we lead in unblocking the eels' migratory pathways."The first ever eel conference was held here in 2009. It had been a hard year for eels; numbers had dwindled starkly. Over the past 200 years, we have drained and destroyed 80% of our wetlands, while 25,000 hydropower stations and tens of thousands of unscreened waterpumps across Europe threatened the species further. Early the following year, the Sustainable Eel Group (SEG) was established, and a regulation introduced, requiring each country to devise an eel-protection plan. "In Britain," says Andrew Kerr, chairman of SEG, "we lead in unblocking the eels' migratory pathways."
The eels' journey is long and mysterious. We know that they are born in the Sargasso, since this is where the smallest examples have been found. But we have never seen them breed. We know, too, that they do not swim to our shores, but rather float across the ocean."They twist in the current," says Kerr, plucking a small leaf from a hedge to illustrate his point. "Like a sail." Only when they reach the Bristol Channel do the eels start to swim – short bursts at first, building their strength like an athlete, until they are sufficiently muscular to manage longer stretches.The eels' journey is long and mysterious. We know that they are born in the Sargasso, since this is where the smallest examples have been found. But we have never seen them breed. We know, too, that they do not swim to our shores, but rather float across the ocean."They twist in the current," says Kerr, plucking a small leaf from a hedge to illustrate his point. "Like a sail." Only when they reach the Bristol Channel do the eels start to swim – short bursts at first, building their strength like an athlete, until they are sufficiently muscular to manage longer stretches.
And we know some of the physical changes the eels must effect to survive on their journey – when they reach the Continental Shelf, the eels shift to become a submarine shape, later adapting from ocean saltwater to the warm fresh water of the rivers, and build from the translucent shade of a glass eel to the brown pigmented elver. On their way back to the Sargasso they dive 1,000 metres, deeper than a nuclear submarine, and disappear. Nobody knows why.And we know some of the physical changes the eels must effect to survive on their journey – when they reach the Continental Shelf, the eels shift to become a submarine shape, later adapting from ocean saltwater to the warm fresh water of the rivers, and build from the translucent shade of a glass eel to the brown pigmented elver. On their way back to the Sargasso they dive 1,000 metres, deeper than a nuclear submarine, and disappear. Nobody knows why.
Of the 450 glass eel licences issued in Britain, 150 belong to fishermen near here. Tonight, 50 of them have been out on the river. Modern eel-fishing is carried out using sustainable methods – fishermen stand on the riverbanks with hand-held nets, dipping them into the water for a maximum of five minutes, though usually only for a count of 60 seconds. They fish alone, largely, in the dark and the peace of it.Of the 450 glass eel licences issued in Britain, 150 belong to fishermen near here. Tonight, 50 of them have been out on the river. Modern eel-fishing is carried out using sustainable methods – fishermen stand on the riverbanks with hand-held nets, dipping them into the water for a maximum of five minutes, though usually only for a count of 60 seconds. They fish alone, largely, in the dark and the peace of it.
Anna Carey has been eel-fishing for nine years. "My partner's done it since he was 15, and his dad did it before him," she says. "One night I said to him: 'Where are you going at 3am? – I don't believe you're going eel-fishing!' and he took me with him." The following year, on Valentine's Day, he told her he had got her a present. "He opened the back of his van and he'd made me my own net."Anna Carey has been eel-fishing for nine years. "My partner's done it since he was 15, and his dad did it before him," she says. "One night I said to him: 'Where are you going at 3am? – I don't believe you're going eel-fishing!' and he took me with him." The following year, on Valentine's Day, he told her he had got her a present. "He opened the back of his van and he'd made me my own net."
Last year saw the best haul of eels for 20 years – far more than the market could take. This year looks to be even better – on Sunday night, 450,000 were caught. On Monday it was 1.2m. In two weeks' time with the next tide, there may be even more.Last year saw the best haul of eels for 20 years – far more than the market could take. This year looks to be even better – on Sunday night, 450,000 were caught. On Monday it was 1.2m. In two weeks' time with the next tide, there may be even more.
"Once, when I was a boy, eel numbers were so high that there was a huge tradition of elver-eating," recalls Kerr. "There would be elver-eating competitions where they were glugged back in pint jugs. People used them on the fields as fertilizer. We are now almost back at that level.""Once, when I was a boy, eel numbers were so high that there was a huge tradition of elver-eating," recalls Kerr. "There would be elver-eating competitions where they were glugged back in pint jugs. People used them on the fields as fertilizer. We are now almost back at that level."
"It's probably a little early to say the species has recovered," says Kerr. "But on the evidence of what we're seeing here, it's not facing extinction. And it's time to kick that idea into touch, because it's not helping. It's time for the supermarkets of Europe to start stocking eel again. Because the eel fisherman is under more threat than the eel.""It's probably a little early to say the species has recovered," says Kerr. "But on the evidence of what we're seeing here, it's not facing extinction. And it's time to kick that idea into touch, because it's not helping. It's time for the supermarkets of Europe to start stocking eel again. Because the eel fisherman is under more threat than the eel."
• This article was amended on 8 April 2014 to correct the name of the River Parrett, from River Perrett as the original said.