Eels are disappearing

potatolord

potatolord

potatolord

Soldato
Joined
21 Jan 2010
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I saw this article and it just made me sad.

When I was a kid, around 40 years ago, we used to catch literal bucketfuls of elvers in the local stream during the migration. We'd dump them all back in once the novelty wore off. There would be dozens of kids there.

It seems eels will soon be extinct.

It's mental that's happened in my lifetime.

www.theguardian.com

Eels have vanished from critical parts of Somerset Levels, DNA tests show

Experts shocked as analysis finds no traces of eel DNA in area once teeming with the endangered fish
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
 
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potatolord said:
I saw this article and it just made me sad.

When I was a kid, around 40 years ago, we used to catch literal bucketfuls of elvers in the local stream during the migration. We'd dump them all back in once the novelty wore off. There would be dozens of kids there.

It seems eels will soon be extinct.

It's mental that's happened in my lifetime.

www.theguardian.com

Eels have vanished from critical parts of Somerset Levels, DNA tests show

Experts shocked as analysis finds no traces of eel DNA in area once teeming with the endangered fish
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
Click to expand...

There is only one solution.

 
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Shame, ~40 years ago as a youngster, we used to catch loads of young eels by hand in the stream next to Tan Y Fron camping site in Dolgellau.
 
Saw a massive Eel a few days ago actually. When walking over a river with the dog the sun was at the right angle so I could see into the water. He looked huge at least a meter or so and looked like he had, ahem, a decent amount of girth.

People should probably stop eating them with jelly
 
That's a little bit misleading title story but it's still a shame. Remove the barriers get some eeeeels.

But they are known for finding an entrance where they can and for having solo polo peepers so they might come back.
 
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I remember the days when they were a pest when you went fishing, there was so many of them.

I think my Nan was responsible for some of the decline, the amount she used to eat. Pretty much a pot of jellied eels a day and stewed eels a couple of nights a week
 
European Eel have an amazing reproductive cycle - they actually spawn in the Sargasso Sea in the Americas and then migrate to Europe. They have been in decline across Europe for a long time now, and there are many different threats to them, including loss of habitat and barriers to migrating up rivers as in this case.

Sad :(
 
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