Fishing for Eels during close season

[bungral]

Yeah and the Thames becomes semi tidal at Richmond and non tidal at Teddington so thats fine for me.

[Leon Roskilly]

Trust me.. The Thames is teeming with them but in the places where this is an issue as long as you take care and return them i don't see a problem?

 

 

The problem isn't with adult eels (which stay in the rivers between 5 and 20 years - the further up the river the longer they stay), but with the fact that when they set off back to the Sargasso sea, their young aren't coming back in the numbers that they are supposed to be (returning elver numbers are between 1% and 10% of what they should be.

 

(note: eels that find their way into stillwaters may never go back to the sea, and live very long lives of 70 years or so!)

 

So although local populations of eels may not appear to be in decline, as the adults set off each year, they are not being replaced.

 

With a big river like the Thames, it will take quite a few years before the upper reaches start to empty of adult eels, but the increasing lack of bootlaces will tell the story of what is happening.

 

No one is quite sure what is happening to the eels, whether ther adults simply are not making it back to the breeding areas (there is a swim bladder parasite from Asia that might be weakening them too much to make the long journey, or whether the currents that bring the young back across the Atlantic have changed due to global warming,or something else) but things are not looking good for the future.

 

With so few young returning, it is vital that every eel is treated with respect and returned.

 

It might just be the one eel out of thousands that makes it back to pass on it's genes to thousands of young, able to complete the journey back, and easing the species through this dreadful time for eels.

[Leon Roskilly]

yes you can fish the tidal river but not the non tidal

 

so it's down river of the barrier

 

and no restrictions on bait or hooks

 

 

It might not be that simple,and best to check.

 

When I wrote to the EA about fishing in salt and brackish water, this is how they replied, but note the NFSA comments.

 

Although the query was about the need for a licence, the reply is also relevant for other byelaws and close seasons etc.,

 

A Rod Licence is required when fishing for freshwater fish, eels, Salmon or Sea Trout anywhere in England or Wales and out to 6 miles at sea.

 

Any angler deemed to be fishing for these whether in marine, tidal or freshwater will need to ensure they are licenced for them, whether or not they have caught.

 

For enforcement, the Agency will consider whether the angler is fishing at a location and with a method liable to catch these species.

 

If so they will enforce the licence requirement.

 

Regards

 

William Fawcett

Environment Agency

Public Enquiries Co-ordinator

Head Office Operations, Executive Office

01454 624411

 

 

We the NFSA fought for years on this front, because as you rightly interperet there is no distinction in the Salmon and Freshwater Act 1975 between eels, Anguilla anguilla a or Conger conger caught in the sea or in fresh water.

 

However in July 1996 after much pressure from us, the EA secured a piece of legislation which in fact created Excusals from the Licensing of Eel fishing in tidal and Estuarial Waters in England and Wales.

 

These are predetermined lines set, where suitable, in most estuaries at the High Water Mark but others are at predetermined lines for each river and generally are where the salt water and freshwater meet and we have a list of these.

 

In practice this means that any angler fishing for eels in the sea will be excused the need for a licence.

Edited May 18, 2006 by Leon Roskilly