Accelerating the recovery of the European Eel

Publication on the estimation of the exploitation rate of European eel in the Severn Estuary


A paper on the estimation of the exploitation rate of glass eels in the Severn Estuary in 2020 has been published by Miran Aprahamian and Peter Wood in the journal, Fisheries Management and Ecology. The study used mark-recapture techniques for the first time on the Severn, with the aim to estimate what proportion of glass eels entering the estuary were caught by elver fishermen. The size of the population in 2020 was estimated to be 25 tonnes (75 million fish) and with a catch of 1.95 tonnes (5.1 million fish) the exploitation was estimated at 6.8%. Comparisons are made with studies in other estuaries and with conservation targets set by the EU Eel Regulation and the Eel Management Plan for the River Severn. The study suggests the fishery is not the main cause of the Severn RBD failing to meet escapement targets.

Estimation of glass eel (Anguilla anguilla) exploitation in the Severn Estuary, England

Aprahamian M & Wood P
October 2020
doi.org/10.1111/fme.1245
Access to the publication can be made here.



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