Neville Ficklings Angling Times Article

[Mark7]

An edited version of the article below was included in this week’s edition of AT. The National Anguilla Club feel that the full text might be of interest to all anglers (especially Neville!), hence this post.

 

 

A response to Neville Fickling’s article: “Eels: bring me the scientific evidence” from his Angling Times column of Tuesday 7th April 2009

 

Neville’s column in Angling Times dated Tuesday April 7th 2009 casts doubt on the widely held belief that European Eel stocks are dangerously close to collapse. The National Anguilla Club are surprised and disappointed that such an influential figure in the angling world has chosen to ignore the facts surrounding the plight of the eel, and instead used anecdotal evidence to make a case for continuing to supply eels as bait. To use his column in AT to state that there is not enough scientific evidence available to evidence the dire state of eel stocks is, at best, irresponsible, and at worst, an attempt to protect what appears to be his prime concern, protecting his business. I have no problem with him fighting for his livelihood, but he should not use the pages of the angling press to protect his business. Our detailed responses to his comments are detailed below:

 

Neville states that: “scientific evidence needs to be much better before action is taken”

 

The following statements are all backed by extensive scientific research and data:

 

CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora): The stock of Anguilla anguilla is outside safe biological limits and has now been included as an endangered species under Appendix II which lists species that are not necessarily now threatened with extinction but may become so unless trade is closely controlled.

 

ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) “In fact, no other fish stock within the ICES Area is as widespread or involves so many fishermen. That is, for as long as it lasts, as the eel stock is dangerously close to collapse. Without better, co-ordinated assessments and an international management plan, the future looks bleak for these ocean travellers.

 

DEFRA : Introduction to Eel Management Plans: “Advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) indicates that the stock of the European eel, Anguilla anguilla, is outside safe biological limits across European waters.

 

All of the research applicable to these statements is readily available on the internet.

 

On selling eels for bait: “all mine come from a sustainable source”

 

There is no such thing as a sustainable source for the European eel because they cannot be bred in captivity. As a one stock species, all eels originate from the same source, and have to return to that source to spawn. Neville must be aware of this, and it is difficult to understand how he can write that his source is sustainable. His eels probably come from Lough Neagh, or another European fishery where elvers are stocked and then harvested as yellow eels. It is more than likely that the eels that Neville sells are UK sourced elvers that have been stocked and grown on in European waters. This activity has a direct effect on the UK eel stock.

 

He admits that eel activity in the fens is now almost non existent, and yet persist in his view that things are not so bad. He mentions that on some of the waters he fishes eels are a positive nuisance. This may well be the case, as there are some waters, mostly near to our coast, where there is a reasonable head of eels. However, there are many, many more waters where eels are a thing of the past.

 

As for the suggestion that our members stop fishing for eels with rod and line, well, we know that the mortality rate for eels that are handled sensibly and returned to the water is almost non existent. It has been scientifically proven that eels can survive for up to 48 hours out of water if kept damp and cool. We know from our own experiences that deeply hooked eels do survive, and are remarkably adept at ridding themselves of hooks that cannot be removed by the angler.

 

“The National Anguilla Club is asking more or less for all commercial netting to cease, and an end to the use of eels as bait”

 

To date we have not asked for commercial netting to cease, but we have asked anglers to treat eels with respect, and not use or buy them as bait. On the Pike and Predator forum, Dave Smith, our internet officer, asked if Neville would like to be the first tackle dealer to take the initiative and stop selling eels. It would seem that at this point Neville sensed that his back pocket was about to come under attack, and became most defensive, eventually refusing to continue the debate because he felt that he had been insulted. He had not, of course, but it was a convenient time for him to withdraw from a debate in which he had little support.

 

We welcome informed debate on the issues surrounding eel conservation, but it is imperative that comments and articles emanating from angling celebrities do not detract from the fight to save the eel.

[Rob Ward]

Oh dear, what a plum.

[Dick Dastardly]

From my angling experiences of late Ive also found it hard to believe that eels are in decline.However having now read so many scientific papers/reports that say they are it is in no doubt.

 

Most of these have been pointed out/sent to me by various eel anglers I know. Can I ask what first alerted them to the situation? Sounds a daft question but its surely not because they have noticed a decline in their catches?

[gozzer]

From my angling experiences of late Ive also found it hard to believe that eels are in decline.However having now read so many scientific papers/reports that say they are it is in no doubt.

 

Most of these have been pointed out/sent to me by various eel anglers I know. Can I ask what first alerted them to the situation? Sounds a daft question but its surely not because they have noticed a decline in their catches?

 

I think it varies by region Budgie, (I hope Mark will correct me if I'm wrong).

I certainly know that in some Yorkshire rivers (particularly the tidal reaches) the numbers have dropped dramatically over the last 10-20yrs.

In areas where eels were so numerous, that they made up a large part of match weights, you are lucky if you now catch one a visit.

 

If the motives are as suggested, then it's another sad example of my 'pet moan', ie, angling putting profit before the welfare of fish and fisheries.

 

John.

[Mark7]

From my angling experiences of late Ive also found it hard to believe that eels are in decline.However having now read so many scientific papers/reports that say they are it is in no doubt.

 

Most of these have been pointed out/sent to me by various eel anglers I know. Can I ask what first alerted them to the situation? Sounds a daft question but its surely not because they have noticed a decline in their catches?

 

Morning Budgie

 

First indicators were declining elver runs, which as far as I know were noticed back in the early 90s. The work done by messrs Dennison and Jolley and the NAC helped to highlight the situation to eel and other anglers, but I'm not sure how long ago this was, as I am a relative newcomer to serious eel fishing. Perhaps Tony will come along and comment on this at some point.

 

Regards

 

 

Mark

[Mark7]

I think it varies by region Budgie, (I hope Mark will correct me if I'm wrong).

I certainly know that in some Yorkshire rivers (particularly the tidal reaches) the numbers have dropped dramatically over the last 10-20yrs.

In areas where eels were so numerous, that they made up a large part of match weights, you are lucky if you now catch one a visit.

 

If the motives are as suggested, then it's another sad example of my 'pet moan', ie, angling putting profit before the welfare of fish and fisheries.

 

John.

 

Morning John

 

If it were possible to make truly accurate surveys of elver runs and yellow and silver eel numbers then we are sure that would show that numbers are down everywhere, but it's true that the problem is more severe in some areas, probably due to barriers, environmental issues, gulf stream alteration, overfishing et al. And I certainly agree with your pet moan. Fishing was, in my opinion, a much healthier sport before every Tom, Dick & Harry began to make a living from it!

 

Regards

 

Mark

[Dick Dastardly]

Yup both John and Marks replies make sense to me.I wonder why its regional though John?

 

I suppose the eel is quite a unique situation as not only is it regarded as a comercial as well as a sporting species but any attempt to stock/re stock will be thwarted by the fact that eels cant be (or havn't up till now) farm reared.

 

There amazing life cycle (which there is still reatively little known about) has so many variables that it will prove extremely difficult to identify where the problem lies if it isnt just a simple case of over fishing.

[Elton]

I can see why he felt insulted. To turn round and say that the only reason somebody 'believes' something is for money, when they have indicated otherwise, is insulting. I have no idea how many eels one shop sells for bait, but I'd be amazed if it amounted to much.

 

"To date we have not asked for commercial netting to cease, but we have asked anglers to treat eels with respect, and not use or buy them as bait."

I've had numerous news releases from the EA regarding illegal elver poachers over the years, and most of these seem to be for the restaurant trade. Wouldn't the consumption of baby eels be a better place to start targeting one's conservation efforts, rather than start publicly suggesting that anglers have somehow contributed to the decline? According to your quote, DEFRA have acknowledged that there is a problem, so what are they doing about it? ICES and CITES are also quoted as "saying stuff", but what are they actually doing? What can they do?

 

It just seems to me that you're starting from the bottom up, by having a go at anglers and one specific shop keeper. I'd have thought that it would have been best to aim a bit higher.

 

One bit of research I'd be interested in; out of, say, 100 shop bought dead eel pike baits, I wonder how many would have been killed by pike anyway.

 

Also, I wonder what effect signal crayfish have had on eel populations, as they must consume a vast amount of the food that was traditionally the mainstay of the eels (and a fair number of eels themselves, no doubt!).

 

By the way, I haven't read the article, so am just replying to what I see here. I'm not so much "Eels: bring me the scientific evidence" as "Eels: blame the right people".

[gozzer]

Yup both John and Marks replies make sense to me.I wonder why its regional though John?

 

I don't know the reason Budgie, but I can only observe the changes in the the rivers during that time.

One area that had a massive eel population was the tidal reaches of the R Wharfe, the Tadcaster, Ulleskelf areas.

The river used to appear 'dirtier' then, and in slacker swims there was a 'slime' that used to collect on the bottom weed, and was even a few inches thick in the really still spots.

These were the areas where the eels used to congregate 'en masse', all sizes from 'bootlaces' to around 1lb were there.

Whether this attracted the eels, or the other species didn't like it, I don't know.

 

The place looks much cleaner now, ( I say looks, because as we've said before, clear and clean don't necessarily meant he same thing).

 

There are/were a few industries upstream, a paper mill, a couple of breweries, and a sewage treatment works. If the waste from them has been cleaned up, then that would account for the appearance of the river.

 

Whether the demise of the eels and state of the river are connected, I don't know. It could just be a coincidence. I'll leave it to the experts to decide.

 

John.

[Worms]

According to your quote, DEFRA have acknowledged that there is a problem, so what are they doing about it?

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