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ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil Advance Access originally published online on August 23, 2007
ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil 2007 64(7):1368-1378; doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsm117
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© 2007 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Published by Oxford Journals. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Current status and temporal trends in stocks of European eel in England and Wales

A. Bark, B. Williams and B. Knights

Department of Geography, King’s College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, UK

Correspondence to A. Bark: tel: +44 20 7848 1036; fax: +44 20 7848 2287; e-mail: tony.bark{at}kcl.ac.uk

Bark, A., Williams, B., and Knights, B. 2007. Current status and temporal trends in stocks of European eel in England and Wales. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 64: –.

An extensive 4-year programme of catchment surveys, data collection, and model development for eels was undertaken to establish the status of the stocks in England and Wales, so that appropriate management action can be taken. Nine test catchments representing different geographical areas and catchment types were studied, covering 14 rivers, two estuaries, and a fresh-water lagoon. Data were collected via electric fishing, fykenetting, fixed eel racks, and elver traps. In all, 13 500 eels were caught, weighed, and measured, and the sex and age of a subsample of 1400 determined. Despite declining recruitment, eel stocks in some, perhaps many, west coast rivers are probably still at or near to carrying capacity, with male-dominated populations. In other rivers, particularly those towards the southeast of England, current and historical data indicate declining female-dominated stocks. For rivers where recruitment is not limiting, there appears to be a direct relationship between the standing stock of eels and the mean nitrate level. This relationship potentially facilitates the application of a biomass-based biological reference point for eels for application to individual catchments. The data also suggest that it may be possible to develop reference points based on mean eel length or sex ratio.

Keywords: Anguilla anguilla, assessment, management, population, reference points, stocks

Received 3 January 2007; accepted 21 June 2007; advance access publication 23 August 2007.


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M. W. Aprahamian, A. M. Walker, B. Williams, A. Bark, and B. Knights
On the application of models of European eel (Anguilla anguilla) production and escapement to the development of Eel Management Plans: the River Severn
ICES J. Mar. Sci., October 1, 2007; 64(7): 1472 - 1482.
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