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EelTown.org
Spring 2020 Eel Town Conference May 9, 2020
Alexandria, Virginia, USA
Eel Town is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization for eel conservation and citizen science education. www.EelTown.org
Advisory Board
Céline Hanzen Chris Bowser Andrew Kerr
Sara Rademaker Nick Perrault
John W. Greenlee Jason Gunn Burton
Paul Coulson
Board of Directors
Bernard Ferret Kristen Steele
William Clayton
Executive Director Nick Walker
Spring 2020 Eel Town Conference
1
Program All times eastern daylight time United States (UTC-4)
Time Presenter Title 13:00 Welcome
Session I – Eels & Industry
13:10 Jonas Elghagen, Fish
Conservation Consultant at Whooshh Innovations
Eel Pass Technologies, Including Evaluation of a novel mobile floating trap for collecting migrating juvenile eels, Anguilla anguilla, in rivers PDF
13:30 Kelly Hughes, Director ATS Environmental
Low Cost Remediation Toolbox PDF
13:50 Oscar Causing, Eel Farmer / Technician / Eel Farm Designer
Tropical Eels: Migration and Business Aspects
14:10 Sean Doherty, Eel Fisher Eel Fishing in Ireland 14:30 Break
Session II – Eels & Science
14:45 Frode Kroglund, Eel Biologist.
Count Governors Office-Agder, Norway
Eel, the overlooked species in Norway PDF
15:05 Jack Wootton, Eel Researcher The Scottish Eel PDF Video 15:25 Céline Hanzen, University of
KwaZulu Natal African freshwater eels: flagship species for river connectivity in the Western Indian Ocean region PDF
15:45 Nick Walker, PhD, Executive Director EelTown.org
New directions in American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) conservation and management practices PDF
16:05 Break
Session III – Eels & Humans
16:20 John W. Greenlee, PhD, Cornell University
The 2-Minute Drill: Unwinding the Story of the Dutch Eel Ships in London PDF
16:40 Chris Bowser and Sarah Mount, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
The Hudson River Eel Project: Citizen science in good times and bad PDF
17:00 Willem Dekker, Sustainable Eel Group and Swedish Agricultural University
From pest to protected – the development of protection policies for the European eel PDF
17:20 Andrew Kerr, Chairman of the Sustainable Eel Group
Building a global sustainable agenda for Eel PDF
17:40 Closing remarks 17:50 End
Spring 2020 Eel Town Conference
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Eel Pass Technologies, Including Evaluation of a novel mobile floating trap for collecting migrating juvenile eels, Anguilla anguilla, in rivers
J. Watz1, J. Elghagen2, P. A. Nilsson1,3, O. Calles1
1 River Ecology and Management, Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden
2 Elghagen Fiskevård, Åstorp, Sweden
3 Department of Biology - Aquatic Ecology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
Corresponding author: Jonas Elghagen, [email protected]
Abstract
Many solutions for eel passage over barriers such as dams fall short of what is possible. Whooshh Innovations has developed several new fish passage technologies, and for eel, have created systems that can entrain more elver while at the same time employing techniques that allow this to be accomplished simply. This presentation explains the technologies that go into the Whooshh Elverator™, a portable system that has been designed to attract and entrain more elver, as well as keep them safer from predation and disease. It also describes study results showing that the system entrains up to 300% more elver, and keeps them healthy and protected. Other technologies such as the Switchback and the EF-16 substrate will also be discussed.
Spring 2020 Eel Town Conference
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Fish Passage Remediation Toolbox Hughes, Kelly M1,2 1. ATS Environmental, 1108 Wainui Road, Opotiki, New Zealand 2. Fish Passage Action Team Corresponding author: [email protected] Abstract This presentation demonstrates a range of tools developed to suit the many and varied fish passage remediation challenges that are faced around the world. It highlights the different options that can be used when attempting improve the likelihood of fish (including eels) being able to migrate up through a culvert or similar structure. I cover common barriers such as perched or overhung culverts, velocity barriers and shallow water barriers. The aim is to demonstrate options that are low in cost and thereby enable many more structures to be remediated and more upstream habitat accessed for a small amount of expenditure. I detail methods and tools including, culvert baffles, mussel-ropes, rubber and floating ramps, fish friendly tide-gates and tunnel-house refuges.
Keywords: culverts, fish passage, structure remediation, culvert baffles.
Spring 2020 Eel Town Conference
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Tropical Eels: Migration and Business Aspects
Causing, Oscar. Eel Farmer / Technician / Eel Farm Designer / Contractor.
Correspondence: [email protected] 63999-901-8886 / +6328-623-4369
Abstract There are three popular tropical eel species in South East Asia, Anguilla japonica, A. bicolor and A. marmorata. They spawn in the Mariana Ridge and ocean currents take them to Korea, Japan, China, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Malaysia. Japonica however prefer to stay in lower temperature areas like Japan, Korea and China, with a few going to Taiwan during the cold season. On the other hand, marmorata and bicolor reach Taiwan, Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia because they are adopted to higher temperature though they can still be found in Korea and China in smaller quantities. There is a wide belief that glass eels migrate to the country of origin of their parents, mainly because of ocean currents and species’ temperature preference. Therefore, japonica go to either Japan, Korea or China because of the currents. Today, eel culture in the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia focuses on bicolor and marmorata. Bicolor’s major market is Japan while marmorata’s are South Korea, Taiwan and China. Eel farming in the Philippines is dominated by foreigners such as the Japanese, Koreans and Taiwanese, with only a few Filipinos because of a lack of knowledge. There are two kinds of eel farming in the Philippines, first from glass eel to Koroko size (15 cm), which is the smallest legal size to be exported with a current price of more or less 1 USD and second growing eels from 15 cm to >250 grams, which are sold primarily to Japan with some to Korea and Taiwan.
Spring 2020 Eel Town Conference
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Eel Fishing in Ireland
Doherty, Sean. Eel Fisher.
Correspondence: [email protected]
Abstract
This presentation covers local knowledge and heritage to aid in eel conservation, combining the experience of a fisher with the work of Dr. Ciara O Leary of I.F.I (Inland fisheries Ireland) in tracking, tagging and counting eel stocks. We discuss the lack of action taken on industrial portal dredging as well as the missed opportunity for a catch and release program to be put in place to continue monitoring the eel population while preserving the local fishing heritage. This includes how portal works may be linked to the destruction of eel stocks. The demise of traditional fisheries is linked to the ignorance of the industry and fishing management, where groynes and industrial factories have been built along the estuaries. Finally, we discuss increasing local knowledge surrounding the ecosystem of the estuaries.
Spring 2020 Eel Town Conference
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Eel, the overlooked species in Norway
Kroglund, Frode. Count Governors Office-Agder, Norway
Correspondence: [email protected]
Abstract
There is no place for eel in Norwegian culinary culture. Living next door to several “eel-loving” nations, eel is regarded as a “slimy snake” and not suitable as food. Due to this, and due to an equal high focus on Atlantic salmon, eel was overlooked, ignored and a forgotten species. Despite this, more than 500 tones were caught annually in rivers and coastal waters bordering to Skagerrak, several times the amount of salmon caught in the same region. Eel were exported mainly to Denmark. There has been a change in attitude towards eel over the last decade, from both environmental authorities and the public. Protecting eel means identifying their natural distribution, which in Norway is mainly low altitude lakes in coastal areas, with a clear decline in occurrence with increased latitude. The main challenges are related to habitat loss caused by poorly constructed culverts and drainpipes and to hydropower. Culverts are being addressed using eDNA. Attempts to save salmonid smolt and silver eel past run-of-river hydropower was regarded as futile until around 10 years ago. Changes in national attitude toward fish passage in general led to mitigation issues being raised, resulting in changes in national policy over the next few years. From having “no requirements”, all new hydropower plants within probable eel habitats are now required to have protection devices installed. As older hydropower plants are upgraded, they too will receive similar devices. These measures are being accompanied by validation monitoring.
Spring 2020 Eel Town Conference
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The Scottish Eel
Wootton, Jack. Eel Researcher. Correspondence: [email protected]
Abstract
This presentation covers the work taking place in Scotland to protect the European Eel. The threats facing anguillids across the world are mirrored in Scotland, though these issues change in geographic magnitude. A minor issue in one country might be a significant pressure in another. This work highlights the issues facing the eel population in Scotland and introduces some of the current projects. The community of eel enthusiasts are easy to convince regarding eel conservation. The real question is how to get others to share that feeling and this is discussed in this work, by including traditional fisheries management, knowledge sharing, community engagement and novel solutions. A second goal of this work is to open dialogue with people around the world working in similar fields.
Spring 2020 Eel Town Conference
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African freshwater eels: flagship species for river connectivity in the Western Indian Ocean region Céline Hanzen1,2, Martyn Lucas2, Colleen Downs1, Gordon O’Brien1,2,3 1 Center for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal 2 Center for Water Resource Research, School of Engineering, University of KwaZulu Natal 3 Durham University, School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, UK 4 University of Mpumalanga, School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, UK Céline Hanzen (presenting author) School of Life Sciences - University of KwaZulu Natal John Bews A, Second floor, Room 214 Private Bag X01, Scottsville 3201 Pietermaritzburg, South Africa Corresponding author : [email protected] +27 (0) 64 154 4872 Four freshwater eels species (Anguilla spp.) occur within the east flowing rivers of southern Africa. While spawned at sea, African eels spend most of their lives in freshwater, between seven and 50 years. Similar to their temperate homologs, tropical eels face increasing threats due to global anthropogenic changes, namely regarding growing exploitation demands, habitat loss and development of water resource management schemes along the east flowing rivers of South Africa in particular. There is a paucity of knowledge on the occurrence, abundance, diversity and ecology of eel species in Africa. Therefore, from 2016, their spatial ecology and wellbeing of the four eel species were investigated in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and Eastern Cape Provinces, South Africa. In KZN, all four eel species occur in sympatry. Our results detail aspects of the previously unknown ecology of these elusive eels, including their behaviour and home range, as well as the contraction of their range distribution. Additionally, we reviewed the current knowledge on the diversity, ecology and distributions of these species along the East African coastline, Madagascar and associated Islands to provide a baseline for planning future research and to guide conservation efforts. Understanding these fishes contributes to the better use and protection of water resources, especially in rivers where connectivity is impaired.
Spring 2020 Eel Town Conference
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New directions in American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) conservation and management practices
Walker, Nicholas J.1*; Prasad, V.1; de Mutsert, K.1; Dolloff, C.A.2; Aguirre, A.A.1
1 Department of Environmental Science & Public Policy, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, 22030, USA
2 USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech University, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, USA
* Corresponding author: [email protected]
Abstract
This paper presents the first review of American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) since 2015. We provide an integrative approach to American Eel conservation by combining natural science, including biology and ecology, with social science and culture with the aim of creating more efficient management and policies. This paper is divided into three sections. First, we describe the current state of the field, including developments in biology and ecology, such as the mapping of the migration route to the Sargasso Sea and the sequencing of the eel genome. We discuss management concerns throughout the eel lifecycle, with an emphasis on recent research on ecotypes and the three life strategies of eels (freshwater, brackish water and saltwater). We discuss the debate over the conservation status of American Eel in the U.S. and Canada. Second, we detail some of anthropogenic stressors facing American Eel, including dams, pollution, habitat degradation and loss, fishing, parasites such as Anguillocoloidus crassus, climate change and impacts on the Sargasso Sea. Finally, we show how these issues are interconnected and discuss strategies for improving eel management such as improving fish passage, habitat restoration, aquaculture, enforcing wildlife laws to reduce poaching and citizen science initiatives including education and outreach programs. Our goal is to provide a framework for future studies to combine science, management and outreach efforts using eels as a model organism for demonstrating the interconnectedness of aquatic ecosystems.
Keywords: culture, disease and parasites, ecology, human dimensions, life history, management, threatened and endangered species.
Spring 2020 Eel Town Conference
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The 2-Minute Drill: Unwinding the Story of the Dutch Eel Ships in London
Greenlee, John Wyatt. Cornell University
Correspondence: [email protected]
Abstract
In 1938, in London, a long-standing trade came to an end. The last Dutch eel ship on the Thames cut loose from its moorings and headed back to Holland. The Dutch had been importing eels into London since at least the fourteenth century, and they had been selling live eels from ships on the Thames since the fifteenth century. These ships and their trade represented one of the few places where the medieval world survived into the modern era. But by the early 1900s much of that history had been lost, and the ships developed an alternative and self-sustaining mythology. The tale that developed around the ships said that the Dutch eel ships held an ancient charter, granted by some monarch in reward for some good deed, that granted them free mooring in perpetuity so long as the spot was never left vacant. This account, with variations on monarchs, rationale, and other details, has become part of the ships’ accepted history. It appears in books, in articles, and on the City of London’s website. But the story is a fabrication – likely a creation of the late nineteenth century that resulted from a collective historical forgetting on the part of everyone involved. This presentation examines the various strands of this mythology, before outlining a brief account of the ships’ time on the Thames and describing the problems with the current received histories. I conclude by suggesting a possible source for these misunderstandings.
Spring 2020 Eel Town Conference
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The Hudson River Eel Project: Citizen science in good times and bad Bowser, Chris1 and Mount, Sarah2 1 Education Coordinator, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 2 Science Education Specialist, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Correspondence: [email protected], [email protected] Abstract Since 2008, the Hudson River Eel Project has trained community members to check specialized fyke nets each spring to catch, count, and release young glass eels when they enter Hudson River tributaries in New York State (USA). Volunteers include families, middle school through college students, adult volunteers, watershed groups, youth groups, retirees, teachers, and partner scientists and educators. Eels are oddly charismatic and have proven to be a great education tool, and volunteers are able to contribute to needed science on a species in decline. The spread of COVID-19 in early 2020 brought unprecedented challenges to the world, including New York. Staff worked with partners to determine which sites would run, how to sample safely, and how outreach could transition to remote learning. In this presentation we’ll go over failures, successes, and lessons learned. Plus the arrival of our one millionth glass eel!
Spring 2020 Eel Town Conference
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From pest to protected –the development of protection policies for the European eel
Dekker, Willem
Department for Aquatic Resources, Institute for Freshwater Research, Swedish Agricultural University, Drottningholm, Sweden
Correspondence: [email protected]
Abstract
Stinking, slimy, mud-taste, and disastrous for your fish brood and crayfish. Over a century ago, the eel was not highly esteemed in Europe – and yet, this ubiquitous species now has its own protection policies and restoration programmes. We tell the story of this major reversal. All over Europe, the stock of the eel has been in severe decline - for many decades, if not for centuries. Circumstantial evidence indicates that habitat loss and migration barriers expelled the eel from most of its up-river habitats over the 1800s, while fisheries expanded and modernised in larger, down-river areas in the early 1900s. Since 1960, however, further modernisation no longer compensated for the decline, and landings started to diminish. Eventually, from 1980 onwards, recruitment from the ocean fell rapidly. By 2007, European protection policies were adopted, and since 2011, the decline in recruits has for now reversed. Though some scientists and managers have been aware of the downward trends since the late-1800s, it lasted until 1970 before a structured approach was initiated (ICES & EIFAC), and even that got soon lost in further development efforts. Only by 1991, discussions started to focus on the declining resources, which eventually led to the 1998 advice (stock outside safe biological limits), the 2007 protection policies (EU Eel Regulation and CITES listing), and the implementation of Eel Management Plans all over Europe since 2009. To our utmost joy, the downward trend in glass eel came to a halt in 2011, and it is now slowly increasing.
Spring 2020 Eel Town Conference
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Andrew Kerr, Chairman of the Sustainable Eel Group
Building a global sustainable agenda for the Eel
Kerr, Andrew
Sustainable Eel Group
Correspondence: [email protected]
Abstract
The development of sustainable solutions is widely accepted as the way forward for planet Earth and is central to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The 19 species of Anguillid eels are no exception, and given their extended and extraordinary life cycle, are very vulnerable to all types of human impact. The European Eel was the first anguillid to be listed by the IUCN as Critically Endangered. It has its own EU Regulation for its protection and sustainable use. The extreme collapse has been countered and populations are slowly improving. This work makes the case for building a sustainable global eel agenda using some of the learning gleaned from the last 10 years in Europe as well as from efforts to combat international trafficking. This work does not take a prescriptive approach rather an open and collaborative one where all stakeholders can play their part and share in learning.
Keywords: Leadership and Governance, People Profit Planet, Population Measurement, Loss of Habitat, Blocked Migration Pathways, Restocking, Commercial Fishing, Aquaculture, Trafficking.
