Last spring and summer we made a few steps to encourage better glass eel/elver recruitment into Lodmoor as the culverts, sluices and various water control mechanisms made the progress of the large congregations of eels that gathered at the seaward end of the reserve extremely difficult - a fact born out by electric fishing which revealed relatively low eel densities. Eels are reputed to have undergone a 99% population decline so it is important for them and for the biodivesity of the reserve as they provide a vital link in the wetland food chain.
By trapping eels at the sluices we were able to quantify the success or otherwise of the alterations we made. By adding chain and a mesh to give the tiny eels some structure to battle the current and holding the tidal flaps ajar throughout the entire tidal cycle we were able to increase recruitment into the fresh water by almost 400%.
We have now replaced the trap with a permanent eel run (pictured) on the sluices between the reedbeds to the north and the saltmarsh to the south. While making the few technical adjustments to the run it was pleasing to see that it was already being used by the tiny transparent glass eels.
Eel pass on Lodmoor Sluices.