Developing a

In the Severn River Basin glass eel fishing has been reduced year on year not only by the decline in overall numbers of licensed fisherman,  the use of bye laws to enforce sensitive hand netting techniques and principally by persuading fishermen to understand and cooperate in developing new practices.   Additionally in the UK the byelaws limit fishing to traditional fishing areas (just 2% of the coast) only and no new areas for exploitation.  For the Severn River there is no longer a commercial eel fishery.  The Severn river basin district is currently achieving the 40% silver eel escapement level as set out in the European regulations.  The consequence of all these measures and approaches is that the published eel management plan for the Severn River Basin states that adult / silver eel output is similar to that of the early 80’s and accordingly are subscribing to the view that the problem is more likely from loss of habitat and blocked migratory pathways than any other factors.  The plan is not recommending any additional actions to reduce glass eel fishing.  

All these measures are in contrast to some other countries where fishing boats and more intensive technologies are applied.  It has been much more difficult to manage these changes in the rest of Europe.  The majority of fishermen have yet to engage in a sustainable agenda.  However new strategies are emerging.  For example in France under the direction of the National and River Basin District Plans catch quotas and a boat scrappage scheme has significantly reduced fishing capacity and catches (the number of boats has been halved).  There has been and probably will be further reductions in catch quotas for successive years.  For some river basins there are opportunities to develop more responsible and sustainable fishing practices.  

The listing of the eel Annex B list II by Cites has for the moment restricted trade to within the European community.  Without the Asian market there are no longer the financial incentives that encourage extreme and insensitive fishing practices.


“Eliminate risk prone decision making”

This is a call by the professor to end the political and high level decision on quotas and to get away from national politics driven from a centralized and short term approach.  Instead he advocates giving decision making on fishery management to local bodies that operate within frameworks designed to achieve long term and sustainable objectives – this matches the words and sentiments of the European Fisheries Fund.  The Sustainable Eel Group is the new stakeholder grouping representing a range of interested parties from Europe that include government organisations, scientists, nature conservationists and industry stakeholders that wish to make sustainable decisions that meet long term social, environmental and commercial needs.

It is also important that there is co-ordination and co-operation between the River Basins of Europe.  It is generally accepted that the eel constitutes one panmictic stock found all over Europe, Northern Africa and the Mediterranean.  This wide distribution area, however, is effectively fragmented over thousands of river catchments, with little or no natural interaction in-between while protecting the species to some extent it does produce an anomaly that a sustainable river basin could easily be supporting an unsustainable one.


Eliminate Catch Quotas and instead implement controls on the amount of fishing and to require people to keep what they catch

This theme of Callum Roberts is aimed at ending the huge and pointless waste of fish being caught and then dumped at sea because the landing quota had already been achieved.  These sort of practices because of the very specialist techniques involved has not been directly applicable to the eel industry.
Currently there is no quota system for eels in operation in the UK.  At the present time as there is only limited commercial exploitation of adult eels in England and Wales.  There is merit in controlling or temporarily stopping the recreational fishing for adult eels.  It is highly desirable to increase the numbers that successfully return to breed in the Sargasso Sea.  The demand for eels can be met through aquaculture where the survival of glass eels to market weight is significantly greater than in nature.

UK Glass Eels greatly favours the suspension of exports of glass eels to Asia during the recovery period.

There is also a case to be made for using aquaculture to take glass eels and over a few months grow them into fingerlings with their far higher survival rate and release them into wetland habitat above the obstructions on ecologically sound river systems. Whilst this is not a long term solution (unblocking and passes would be) it is a cost effective and faster way of using the available habitat. (The choice of site would need careful planning). The larger eels have a greater ability to negotiate many but not all of the typical barriers The Sustainable Eel Group team in conjunction with the UK Environment Agency and  local  Rivers Trust using a revised  habitats model has been able to set  priorities for removing these obstructions.


Require fishers to use gear modified to reduce by catch and Ban or restrict the most damaging fishing gear

The traditional hand net is the only legal fishing instrument on the Severn. It is an environmentally sensitive fishing method. The catching is very species specific. There is no by-catch and no impact on larvae or other aquatic life. There is a 98% survival of the catch. UK Glass Eels is very aware that glass eels are sentient animals that require a high degree of management and husbandry by skilled trained staff from their point          

Championing a  Sustainable Eel Fishery

Harry Pope v. French Trawler

Is the French  method of fishing sustainable?
 
Damaged glass eels from trawler.

French Trawler
Gironde

On the Gironde the boats are of a much lower power and smaller. The size of the catch is not dissimilar. However the glass eels are much more vigorous.

Factors that impact on hand net fishing