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Environment Agency seeks views on plans to boost eel populations |
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Thursday, 02 July 2009 |
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The Environment Agency has launched a new consultation on its plans to make changes in the law to protect the country’s declining eel stocks.
The number of young eels, or elvers, entering European rivers has fallen by more than 95 per cent. The population is now less than five per cent of historic levels. The European Commission has been so concerned about the decline that it has required member states to implement a management plan to boost eel stocks.
Steve Chambers, Environment Agency fisheries specialist for Yorkshire and the North East said:
“Eels are an important part of our natural world and we have seen a big drop in numbers in all our rivers including the Tyne and Humber estuaries. Numbers have plummeted over the last few decades and it is vital that we take action now to make sure there are healthy populations in the future.
“We are looking at ways we can reverse the decline which includes a review of the country’s fishing byelaws and we want to hear people’s views.”
The Environment Agency’s proposed new byelaws include:• introducing an elver close season
• preventing net fishing for elvers at vulnerable locations
• specifying eel and elver fishing methods and equipment
• prohibiting trawling for eels and elvers
Officers are consulting on the proposals from June 15 to September 7 - full details are contained in the consultation document and anyone can give their views. The feedback wil be used to help develop the draft byelaws. The drafts will then be advertised this autumn with further opportunities to comment before they are passed to government for approval.
The Environment Agency anticipate introducing the byelaws in early 2010, before the start of the next eel fishing season.
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