Wednesday 9 March 2016
The German eel-organization, Initiative zur Förderung des Europäischen Aales e.V. (IFEA), organized a successful eel-conference in Potsdam, close to Berlin. Scientists, NGO’s, Government and industry …
Tuesday 8 March 2016
The German organization for the eel industry, Initiative zur Förderung des Europäischen Aals e.V. (IFEA), has started an eel fund. The International Eel Stewardship Fund® …
Tuesday 8 March 2016
Last week The Guardian wrote an article about the large-scale, illegal European eel-trade. Every year tens of millions of juvenile eels disappear to Asia. Since …
Thursday 11 February 2016
Guardians blogger Emma Bryce wrote a blog about the European eel fishery and how it is beset by illegal trade. Bryce spoke with Andrew Kerr …
Sunday 21 June 2015
Hydropower turbines are largest cause of eel mortality in Sweden Most freshwater eels in Swedish waterways have been transported in from UK and France Critical …
Thursday 7 May 2015
The importance of sustainable eel practices was discussed in depth on the BBC’s flagship Countryfile show this week. Presenter Ellie Harrison joined elvermen, the …
Friday 1 May 2015
Five leading figures behind the development and progress of the sustainable eel movement were recognised during the SEG 5th Anniversary conference at Fishmonger’s Hall this …
Friday 1 May 2015
The significant increases in elver recruitment in recent years, and the accelerating support for sustainability across Europe, are giving renewed hope for the eel - …
Thursday 2 April 2015
The BBC have again been out filming the work of SEG, this time discussing the great eel migration to Europe and the issues of blocked …
Monday 15 December 2014
ICES has reported three years in a row of increasing glass eel recruitment and illustrates that in the 2013 – 2014 season the levels attained …
Wednesday 22 October 2014
The latest European Commission report to the Council and European Parliament makes a strong call for further attention on environmental actions for the eel.
Published on 21 October 2014 it indicates that some EU members states have been slow to implement conservation measures in their Eel Management Plans, and says “More attention should be given to management measures related to non-fishing anthropogenic mortality factors”, including hydropower and pumping stations, habitat loss or degradation, pollution, diseases and parasites – “the majority of which have only been partially implemented by member states.”
The report goes on to explain the difficulties of measuring eel population and concludes that there is an urgent need ‘for solid estimates’ and a new estimation of stock indicators.
Andrew Kerr, SEG Chairman said “Following the huge increases of glass eel recruitment to the Bay of Biscay and the River Severn in 2013 and 2014, SEG believes nature has been unable to make best use of this abundance because so many natural eel migration pathways remain blocked. The translocation of 90 million plus eel in 2014 as a restocking conservation measure, whilst being highly commendable, cannot be regarded as a lasting or sustainable solution.
Overall, SEG welcomes the fact that the debate is no longer centred on fishery restrictions (we strongly believe that the best solutions for the eel’s recovery require a vibrant sustainable fishery across Europe) and that further research will be conducted to give a more accurate picture of eel populations.”
The full report is available here
com_2014_640_enFriday 19 September 2014
The latest SEG newsletter has just been published here
It includes all the latest news about the huge recruitment of glass eels this year, SEG’s emergency relocation activities, and research updates.
We hope you enjoy reading it!
SEG Newsletter 2014Friday 29 August 2014
SEG has launched a major project with Bristol Avon Rivers Trust to increase the number of European Eels in the River Avon. Nearly 100,000 juvenile …
Friday 8 August 2014
This week Channel 4’s Food Unwrapped programme interviewed SEG as part of an insightful film looking at jellied eel sales in the UK. SEG took …
Tuesday 15 July 2014
Following the huge increase in the number of elvers arriving in the UK’s western estuaries this year, reports have been published of a massive increase …
Wednesday 18 June 2014
Welcoming the latest IUCN assessment of the European Eel, SEG Chairman Andrew Kerr said: “We are very encouraged by the IUCN’s detailed report, which finds …
Tuesday 10 June 2014
A film showing the incredible increase in the number of glass eels arriving in the UK has appeared on the BBC’s flagship Springwatch programme. Having …
Wednesday 21 May 2014
Thousands of elvers restocked by Zac Goldsmith MP and Lord de Mauley, Environment Minister 90+ million juvenile eels rescued & re-homed across Europe A …
Friday 2 May 2014
Having caught millions of fish for restocking in the Severn and Parrett estuaries last month, we’ve been concentrating on moving them over the barriers and upriver.
Our first stop for the Severn elvers was the National Trust’s beautiful regional HQ at Attingham Park in Shropshire.
The National Trust team did an amazing job attracting the crowds and explaining how the number of elvers arriving in the Severn estuary this year is the biggest in 3 decades.
A hundred people - including dozens of excited youngsters - joined the teams from SEG, the Severn Rivers Trust and the National Trust to welcome the elvers to their wonderful new home.
After re-homing 6,500 fish at Attingham Park we joined a team of conservation volunteers from Shrewsbury School, and thousands more fish were introduced to the Severn in front of the boathouse.
As always we had great support from the media. Our thanks to all for making a very memorable day!
Read more about it in the Shropshire Star and see the TV report on BBC Shropshire
IMG_0952Tuesday 22 April 2014
SEG’s restocking initiatives on the Parrett and Severn continue apace - and the media coverage continues! This morning’s Daily Telegraph has a big feature on …
Sunday 30 March 2014
UK’s biggest ever initiative to help endangered eels starts on River Parrett on Monday night (31 March) Fishermen will try to catch 1 million baby …
Wednesday 12 March 2014
Important new research into predation of the European Eel Evidence on its marine migration has just been published. An abstract is below, the full report …
Friday 14 February 2014
The BBC’s Inside Out programme in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire ran an excellent film on eel this week. The show looked at the work of SEG, …
Tuesday 4 February 2014
The Environment Agency has published a position paper ‘Delivering our Duties for Eel; our Ambition for Eel in England’ dated January 2014, which is available …
Tuesday 21 January 2014
Eels have been making news all over the world recently for several different reasons, including Governments in North and Central America introducing new fishing controls. …
Thursday 16 January 2014
“Pumping stations may significantly threaten escapement targets set in eel management plans” concludes a detailed study titled ‘Mortality of European eel after downstream migration through …
Tuesday 14 January 2014
The national press in the UK have started to talk about the record numbers of glass eels that have been arriving in France recently. Articles …
Friday 20 December 2013
All of the latest news and views on eel has been packed into the new 2013 SEG newsletter. Happy reading and have a great Christmas!
Friday 1 November 2013
There was an excellent film on silver eel migration and the challenges of blocked migratory pathways last night on BBC Autumnwatch. Click here to link …
Friday 25 October 2013
The River Teme in Ludlow and surrounding waterways have received 25,000 juvenile eels in the latest SEG initiative to help eels return to abundance. On …
Friday 11 October 2013
The River Lymn and surrounding waterways welcomed 20,000 new juvenile eels yesterday as part of a major UK initiative to help eels return to abundance. …
Tuesday 1 October 2013
Media in Spain are reporting that eels have returned to the Segura River, South East Spain, for the first time in over 10 years. Full …
Tuesday 1 October 2013
A major £45,000 initiative to boost stocks of young eels in the UK launched at Blagdon Lake on Monday 30 September when 25,000 juvenile eels …
Monday 30 September 2013
The European Eel starred in the final episode of “Britain’s Big Wildlife Revival” last night on BBC1. In a programme dedicated to the UK’s Wetlands, …
Thursday 26 September 2013
SeafoodSource contributing editor Jason Holland has examined the issues facing the European Eel. In a detailed feature, he summarises: “There are many elements conspiring against …
Wednesday 11 September 2013
The European Parliament today debated improvements to eel sustainability in Europe, and released the following statement: Parliament demands tougher rules to save the European …
Tuesday 30 July 2013
The work of SEG members on the River Severn was described as “amazing” today by a reporter on the BBC’s flagship ‘Shared Planet’ series on …
Tuesday 30 July 2013
SEG’s rapid progress and achievements were outlined to the IFM European Eel Conference in London last month.
The full presentation is now available London Eel Conference slides June 2013
London Eel Conference slides June 2013Tuesday 23 July 2013
Details of the revised Sustainable Eel Standard have been published as momentum grows across Europe Sustainable Eel Standard June 2013
Thursday 18 July 2013
Following the success of the European Eel Conference in London last month, the Institute of Fisheries Management has published all of the presentations that were …
Wednesday 3 July 2013
Nearly 10 million listeners of the BBC’s Chris Evans Breakfast Show learned all about the work of the Sustainable Eel Group this morning, when Chris …
Friday 28 June 2013
The largest ever conference of European academics, politicians and eel specialists has concluded in London with a resounding message from delegates – that the adoption …
Wednesday 26 June 2013
- UK Minister echoes call for more action to help eels reach crucial inland waterways - Record migration in 2013, but tiny ‘elvers’ still face …
Thursday 16 May 2013
Tuesday 7 May 2013
Thursday 11 April 2013
On the 9th April Andrew and David presents 31 SEG Certificates to Dutch Farms and Smokehouses as three quarters of the Dutch trade demonstrates its …
Friday 22 February 2013
DUPAN released over 4600 eels over dikes in North Holland and Zeeland. See their full report here: http://www.dupan.nl/nl/nieuws/ruim-4-600-palingen-veilig-over-de-dijk-gezet/
Wednesday 20 February 2013
Chairman, Andrew Kerr and SEG Member Alex Koelewijn were active participants in The ‘Get the solutions flowing’ campaign. The Sustainable agenda was a high priority in the thinking of this conference.
As the loss and degradation of wetlands continues to accelerate worldwide, innovative thinking and new partnerships are needed to capitalise on the role of ecosystems as natural water infrastructure. Wetlands deliver a wider range of services and benefits than corresponding manmade infrastructure – regulating water quantity, contributing to flood regulation, and increasing resilience to storms in deltas and coastal areas. While increasingly recognised for the goods and services they provide, wetlands are too often overlooked in favour of engineered solutions like dams and dykes.
To read more, the latest newsletter of Wetlands International is available to download via the link.
Global Newsletter February 2012 v2 (1Monday 11 February 2013
Gill Macdonald has written a book entitled ‘ The Wishing Eel and Other Grim Tales’. Closely based on the Common Eel, the Wishing Eel is …
Wednesday 30 January 2013
David Bunt talks to Radio 4 about the challenges facing the European Eel. You can listen to the interview here: Saving Species
Monday 21 January 2013
The following letter has been sent to the 20 MEPs who make up the PECH Committee of the European Parliament: Dear (Member of PESH - …
Wednesday 16 January 2013
Friday 21 December 2012
You can view the winter edition of the Rivers Trust E-Newsletter No. 24
Monday 10 December 2012
The SEG Chairman Andrew Kerr recently expressed support for conservation action in France. Letter to Madam le Minister: I am writing to introduce you to …
Friday 23 November 2012
The European Aquaculture Conference 2012 was held in La Coruña, Spain, on 23 November 2012. You can view presentations and proceedings from the conference by …
Thursday 15 November 2012
The eel featured strongly at the Rivers Trust Living North Sea Conference. Important papers on eels were presented by many SEG members. See living North …
Wednesday 31 October 2012
Jo Gascoigne from MacAlister Elliott the assessment body, Pilor Vila, Rodolfo Barrera, Jesus Gomet and Jordi Peris
Wednesday 31 October 2012
Spain’s famous Ebro Delta that still receives about 5 million glass eels each year – these are caught in sensitive fixed and hand nets and …
Wednesday 10 October 2012
10 to 15 million eels are restocked in Germany each year. From left to right: Gert Gotting, Aal-Hof Gotting, Ronald Menzel, Dr. Uwe Brämick (ICES …
Sunday 30 September 2012
SEG and Severn and Wye Smokery Schools restocking Programme featured on BBC Country File in September 2012 with Julia Bradbury and John Craven. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01n85xh
Sunday 10 June 2012
SEG Chairman Andrew Kerr meets Sarah Weiner to explain the current situation regarding eels across Europe. Follow the link below to view the film on …
Saturday 10 March 2012
SEG Chairman visited Tour du Valat March 2012 to meet Dr Alain Crevelli and to learn about their research into eels and Mediterranean lagoons
Sunday 11 September 2011
The Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Mr Henrik Høegh restocking Juelsminde Fjord in Denmark with 80,000 fish from Royal Danish Aquaculture. The Danish Minister …
Tuesday 6 September 2011
View an interview with the UK chairman - Andrew Kerr - on the Cotswold TV website.
Wednesday 31 August 2011
Thousands of young eels have been released into a lake at the launch of a decades-long project to save the mysterious fish from a catastrophic population slump. …
Wednesday 31 August 2011
PRESS RELEASE - 25,000 juvenile eels released into Llangorse Lake The European Eel has had a difficult few decades and numbers are right down from …
Monday 4 July 2011
Celebrity chef Matt Tebbutt has placed tanks containing 800 eels in his Monmouthshire restaurant in a bid to preserve a fish he says is in danger …
Thursday 19 May 2011
New European standard aims to put pressure on retailers and caterers to buy fish only from sustainable sources. Read the full article on the Guardian …
Thursday 3 February 2011
Conservation Sub Group Meeting 3rd February 2011 The Conservation sub group met on the 3rd Feb at ZSL London to review progress on the eel …
Friday 3 December 2010
It’s an eerie night on the Loire River, in Western France, and we’re on the trail of a mysterious fish. The eel. But after 3 …
Monday 15 November 2010
The Sustainable Eel Group is a charitable group that has been set up with the purpose of encouraging healthy eel populations, distributed throughout their natural …
Monday 15 November 2010
The eel population in EU waters has dropped by more than 99 percent in just a few decades, and a campaign to reach 40 percent …
Tuesday 9 November 2010
Wednesday 27 October 2010
Our rivers once teemed with eels but each year fewer make the 3,000-mile trip to get here. Jon Henley reports on the fight to save …
Tuesday 26 October 2010
Eels could be given a key role in controlling the number of American signal crayfish on a Scots loch. Read the full article on the …
Monday 25 October 2010
A voluntary code of practice to protect eels from being overfished in Britain and the rest of Europe is expected to be in place by …
Thursday 23 September 2010
They are as fragile as their name suggests, yet glass eels survive being hurled about by terrifying storms as they evade sharp-toothed predators on a …
Tuesday 21 September 2010
For more than 30 years eels have taken a hammering as their migration up rivers has been blocked by a rash of concrete flood defences …
Thursday 29 July 2010
A Tewkesbury man has photographed hundreds of elvers attempting to swim up the River Severn. John de Wet noticed the young eels at the Upper …
Thursday 15 July 2010
Support our British Sustainable Eel Richard Cook - Severn and Wye Smokery My boy hood memories of the spring of the year revolve around the …
Monday 12 July 2010
A CELEBRITY chef has taken time out from the kitchen to help Gloucester pupils with a slippery school project. Read the full article here
Monday 12 July 2010
Project Proposal Create a conservation strategy with Sustainable Eel Group partners that identify habitat projects, which offer the most potential for improvement of eel escapement …
Friday 9 July 2010
The Technical University of Denmark (DTU) has coordinated a EUR 5 million research project called PRO-EEL to reproduce the European eel in captivity. Read the …
Wednesday 12 May 2010
On the 12 and 13th May delegates from the eel aquaculture industry from across Europe met for the first time ever under the Chairmanship of …
Sunday 2 May 2010
Paul Ecclestone from fish2fork wrote this article following a visit to the Severn 2 May 2010 A full moon brings a racing tide and racing …
Friday 30 April 2010
Dear Dr Brian, I offer my apologies for the delay in replying to your e-mail of April 14. We had been awfully busy because so …
Wednesday 3 March 2010
View the article on the BBC website, or listen to Andrew’s interview on the Today program.
Monday 22 February 2010
M&J Seafood has delisted European eel from its catalogue in response to the species being placed on the IUCN Red List of critically endangered species. …
Wednesday 17 February 2010
A campaign to save the eel, the continent’s most threatened common freshwater fish, may be breaking down because French fishermen are exporting too many baby …
Wednesday 10 February 2010
I am writing to you as the Chairman of the recently formed Sustainable Eel Group. We are a partnership with members drawn from leaders of …
Tuesday 9 February 2010
THE critically endangered European eel is being given a helping hand by the Environment Agency after Parliament stepped in to encourage the species’ recovery. Read …
Tuesday 9 February 2010
The French Eel Management Plan is an important element of the European Eel’s recovery programme as France controls 90% of the supply of baby eels …
Monday 8 February 2010
Dear CITES Member I am writing to you as the Chairman of the recently formed Sustainable Eel Group. We are a partnership with members drawn …