Brian started research in 1980 on the nutrition, metabolism and behaviour of eels in relation to warm water aquaculture, moving then to studies of eel populations, migrations, fisheries and management in the Thames and Severn and rivers throughout Great Britain. He has particular interests in the effects of oceanic factors, fisheries, migration barriers and pollutants on eel recruitment and stocks. He has published over 50 papers or book chapters on eels and carried out consultancy work on eels for organisations such as the Environment Agency and Defra, involving the publication of over 40 related reports. He has made numerous inputs to conferences and workshops for organisations such as the RSPB, IFM, ICES and US Fish and Wildlife Service. Brian has retired from full time university teaching but still maintains his research and consultancy interests. Brian's passion for the eel is relentless and he wants to see it make progress towards recovery in his life time.
Andy’s work with the European Eel started some 20 years ago as a Fisheries Officer with the National Rivers Authority based in Bridgwater, Somerset. Early work included electric fishing and trapping surveys for eels and monitoring the commercial glass eel fishery on the River Parrett in the heart of the Somerset Levels and Moors (this latter being a baptism of fire!). An interest of Andy’s although not necessarily part of the then job description, was investigating passage solutions for eels at obstructions. This work-stream has grown hugely with the species increasingly in the spotlight and the formation of Eel Management Plans. Andy is currently a National advisor for the Environment Agency and one of his roles is to co-ordinate the management plan projects. He has just returned from Ireland as an advisor to the Loughs Agency on eel pass solutions. Andy maintains that his interest in the eel is due to being unable to find a more bizarre species to work with!
Peter Wood's background is as a practicing vet who's specialist subject is fishery science and aquaculture. He has built UK Glass Eels into Europe's leading supplier of Glass Eels for stocking and restocking. He has pioneered and led the introduction of fishing, collecting and husbandry techniques that minimise wastage and mortality. He believes that implementing the Eel Management Plan is the eels best hope. He would like to see a targeted programme of restocking introduced to accelerate the eels recovery from its current un-ambitious 80 to 200 years timescale.