Andrew Kerr, Chairman

Andrew has built up his conservation experience within the Wildlife Trust movement here in the UK where he has been Chairman of both Gloucestershire (GWT) and then also of the South West Wildlife Trust. His great interests have been butterflies and migratory fish. These governance and leadership roles greatly stimulated his understanding and then commitment to sustainability which he now believes is fundamental.
His passion for the eel developed by living near the River Severn where he heard in his youth the stories of super abundance and then in later life of their decline and now the listing as critically endangered. As Chairman of GWT he was asked why conservationists were doing nothing about this crisis and so following treatment for prostate cancer took up the challenge.
His back ground includes 25 years as a management consultant specialising in organisational development, leadership and change. He learnt about industry and manufacturing in Clarks Shoes and before that following his training at Sandhurst saw military service as a Captain in the 17/21 Lancers.
Andrew is the author of the book ‘I can never say enough about the men’ the remarkable history of the private army of the Maharajah of Kashmir in WW1. He regularly travels to India and gives talks on both this subject and eels.

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Dr. Willem Dekker, Director of Science

Member representing Science.

Willem has been involved in eel research since 1984. Starting from a local perspective on the fisheries in Lake IJsselmeer (the Netherlands), he developed a pan-European view on the long-term population dynamics of the European eel stock, culminating in his 2004 PhD thesis: “Slipping through our hands; population dynamics of the European eel”. He chaired the Eel Working Group, a joint group of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea and the European Inland Fisheries Advisory Committee, from 1996 to 2006. He had a leading role in the design and development of the European Regulation establishing measures for the recovery of the stock of European eel. He is currently employed at the Freshwater Institute of the Swedish Agricultural University in Stockholm. His research interests focus on the assessment and management of the eel fisheries throughout Europe, including historical and cultural aspects, assessment procedures and stock dynamics.

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Alex Koelewijn, Director of Commercial Eel Sector

Member representing Commercial Sector.

Alex is a descendant of an old Dutch fishermen’s family. Since the mid 1500 they have fished, processed and traded. Although Alex grew up with eel he started a custom clearance agency with his brother in 1991. In 1992 his eel blood started to itch and he opened a brandnew eel trading company and smokery using the ancient family recipies. Compassion for the fish and traditional dishes were and are his passion.
As the eel crisis developed Alex learned about the EU Eel Regulation 1100/2007 and its implementation through the Dutch Eel Management Plan. In 2009 he was one of the founding fathers of the Dutch Eel traders association NeVePaling. In 2010 he spent some months investigating and reviewing the eel crisis and during this period he realised that nature has its limits. He concluded the eel industry had to reinvent itself. In 2010 he was one of the founding fathers of the Dutch DUPAN Foundation and under his leadership the Dutch eel fund was invented. Alex is a true believer that the eel industry has the abillity to make the move to a fully traceable eel product from fishermen to plate and to reduce all waste to a minimum. A traceable chain of custody is one of the key elements of the Sustainable Eel Standard. Since early 2010, Alex is connected with the Sustainable Eel Group where he has been elected as leader of the Working Group Commercial.
In 2015 Alex was co-founder of the Eel Stewardship Association, the owner of the collective trade mark Eel Stewardship Fund. The ESF logo is to be found on eel products. The ESF enables the funding of conservation and scientific programmes like the restocking of eels in large numbers, trapping of migrating silver eels in front of hydropower and pumping stations and immediate transfer to open sea and therefore enable a safe pass towards the spawning grounds. Furthermore, the ESF funds scientific research for this incredible and little understood wonder of nature.

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Alexander Wever, Commercial Specialist

Member representing Commercial Sector.

Alexander made his business degree in economics at the Berlin University in 1995 and started in the seafood world beeing a company trainee at UNILEVER in the subsidiary NORDSEE, Europe biggest Fast Food chain for seafood where he worked as Marketing Manager and District Sales Manager. After four years he was hired by Globus Hyper markets where he was responsible for the seafood business for seven years as Category Manager and Seafood buyer. Later he went to Metro Cash & Carry where her was Director seafood for the German Business. In 2008 AWF Consulting was founded as a specialized Seafood Industry Consulting company by Alexander after 12 successful years in the German seafood industry. AWF is based in Hamm/Germany not far away fromDusseldorf and Dortmund. Alexander also works for the German Eel Initiative IFEA.

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David Bunt, Director of Conservation Operations

Member representing Conservation.

David Bunt has been involved in fisheries science and management since graduating in 1985.  After a MSc. In Aquatic Resource Management David spent 30 years in fisheries and environmental management and regulation with the UK’s National Rivers Authority and Environment Agency, where he implemented many measures to improve cyprinid and salmonid fisheries.
He has been a member of the Institute of Fisheries Management (IFM) since 1985, filling a number of positions to progress its objectives of supporting sustainable fisheries management. He has achieved the status of Fellow of the Institute, and currently holds the position of  Chairman. Through the IFM he has achieved the qualification of Chartered Environmentalist.
David was a founder member of SEG in 2010 and has been primarily responsible for developing and managing the SEG Standard.  In 2016 David left employment to become a freelance environmental consultant.  He is contracted to SEG as Director of  Conservation Operations with principal roles to be responsible for the Standard, gain funding and co-ordinate the delivery of eel conservation projects, and to deliver eel mitigation projects for companies who are liable to complete ‘Alternative Measures by Other Means’.

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Vanessa Becker-Hughes, Community Engagement Specialist

Vanessa Becker-Hughes is a visionary environmentalist and community leader based in Somerset. As a founding director and Community Engagement Officer at the Somerset Eel Recovery Project (SERP), she drives initiatives like the Eels in the Classroom programme, inspiring students to champion conservation of the European eel. Vanessa organises impactful events, including the Wilder Wedmore Nature Festival and the Somerset Eel Conference, to promote biodiversity and celebrate cultural heritage.

Her leadership in renewable energy includes her past role as a director of Community Power Ltd., where she delivered the UK’s second-largest community-owned solar farm and numerous other community-based PV installations. As a former green energy consultant, Vanessa blends expertise with sustainability. She has held directorships in community organisations and energy cooperatives and is an enthusiastic associate of the Natural Beekeeping Trust.

Passionate about honey bees, insects, wildflowers, and trees, Vanessa spends her free time studying pollinators, native plants, and nurturing local ecosystems. She is driven by goals to witness signs of European eel recovery, promote widespread adoption of regenerative agriculture, and accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels, fostering a sustainable future for people and planet.

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Emily Ostler, Community & Conservation Specialist

Emily came upon the Sustainable Eel Group as a volunteer for the Somerset Eel Recovery Project in 2023. It was SEG’s approach to conservation which reeled her in: the focus on eel called for local variations on a regional — and even global — endeavour, and the combination of social, environmental, and economic factors meant difficult conversations and sustainable impact.

In 2024, Emily began working for the Sustainable Eel Group. Her roles are varied across each dimension of SEG’s work, but her primary focus has been on program development and community outreach to build a more robust social agenda for SEG.

Outside of her work with SEG, Emily works with Indigenous communities in multiple regions to protect sacred sites, traditional ecological knowledge, and art. This heavily informs her approach to environmental conservation, especially by reinforcing the importance of relationship between humans and place as a guiding principle in ecosystem restoration.

Emily holds a master’s degree from Harvard Divinity School, where she researched how value systems inform the aims and means of environmental management, particularly in terms of water.

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Alexander Barty, Communications Specialist

Alexander has been working with the Sustainable Eel Group since 2020, bringing with him expertise in copywriting, editorial, and graphic design. His focus is on creating communications that are both clear and compelling, helping to convey the importance of preserving the European eel in a way that resonates with a broad audience.

After studying English at Exeter and UCL, Alexander went on to read Architectural History at Oxford, where he developed an academic interest in eel houses. These simple yet evocative structures sparked a lasting connection to the European eel, one that would guide much of his work with the group.

In all his work, Alexander seeks to blend the art of storytelling with the Arts and Crafts principle of beautiful and useful design. His aim is to help preserve the stories and knowledge surrounding the eel, ensuring they continue to be passed on for future generations.